Crist on OTB's

[bigmack]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/30/opinion/30CIcrist.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&ref=nyregionopinions&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin

The city’s Off-Track Betting Corporation is the nation’s largest bet-taker, handling $1 billion a year in parimutuel wagers, roughly $1 of every $20 bet on horse racing in the entire United States. The operation has been valued at $250 million or more by financial analysts.

Q: $20B/yr. is wagered in the US? That seems high.

[kenwoodallpromos]

Thoroughbred racing=2006 1,688 1+ billion on-track) (13,097 13+ billion off-track) (14,785= 14+ billion).
Off-track includes online.

[saratoga guy]

The $20B figure probably also includes harness racing -- since OTBs take harness wagers as well.

[Indulto]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/30/opinion/30CIcrist.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&ref=nyregionopinions&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin
Also from the article:

All the Profitable Horses
By STEVEN CRISTTHE threat by Mayor Michael Bloomberg last month to close the city’s more than 60 Off-Track Betting parlors was an insincere and petulant negotiating ploy rather than a realistic proposal. Perhaps his raising the topic, however, will finally prompt some overdue reform of New York’s dysfunctional OTB system, which is a national embarrassment and a model of inefficiency.

Despite Mr. Bloomberg’s personal distaste for gambling — an odd aversion considering he built his fortune supplying financial information to the gamblers on Wall Street — he can’t and won’t simply pull the plug on OTB, its 1,500 union jobs and its dozens of high-level political-patronage appointments.

… Instead of issuing empty and fiscally irresponsible threats of a shutdown, the mayor should apply his business background and acumen to exploring consolidation and privatization. OTB is not losing money now, and it could provide both higher profits and better services if it were operated as an efficient business rather than a bureaucratic boondoggle. BgM,
I need to borrow other eminently quotable portions of this piece for deployment elsewhere, but I couldn’t help noticing another example of Crist’s now frequent employment of my favorite style of expression. In the words of our bureaucratic body builder, “I’ll be back” with more evidence of this phenomenon.

[Zman179]

Ah, whatta bunch of pompous poppycock.

[garyoz]

Ah, whatta bunch of pompous poppycock.

You are referring to Bloomberg? Actually quite an apt description.

He really doesn't have a dog in this fight. NY OTB's will be the last change made. Way too much political patronage. Remember Hazel Dukes? She was Dinken's appointment to run NYC OTB. With the regional OTB's each being able to appoint political hacks into virtual no show jobs, the politicos won't change a thing.

[bigmack]

For any of you sluggards that don't want to register with The Times & read the piece:

UN: pacemember
PW: pacer

[Indulto]

A little alliteration from a literate libertarian:

http://www.drf.com/drfNewsArticle.do?NID=91024&subs=0&arc=1 (http://www.drf.com/drfNewsArticle.do?NID=91024&subs=0&arc=1)
Three new BC races? Bring 'em on
By STEVEN CRIST… I'm looking forward to the Friday, Oct. 24, 2008 Santa Anita pick six consisting of the year-old BC Juvenile Turf, BC Filly Sprint, and BC Mile and the new BC Juvenile Fillies Turf, BC Turf Sprint, and BC Marathon. Sounds like a tough ticket but a lot of fun.

Yet the dominant reaction seems to be that this sextet is a dark development for American racing that in some way dilutes or detracts from the "real" Breeders' Cup the next afternoon. …My aesthetic reaction is that a totally turf threesome would tantalize, and a subsequent synthetic surface soiree could capitalize, players preferring pick-three pool participation. :D

I propose the following symmetric sequence sandwiching successive sprints: a) Juv. Filly Turf, b) Juvenile Turf, c) Turf Sprint, d) F&M Sprint, e) Marathon and d) Dirt Mile; inspiring an exotic paradise of rolling doubles and triples to complement the initiating pick six and terminating pick four. :jump: