NYRA Live Video for NY Residents

[hibiscus]

Yesterday I was notified by Youbet that "Due to New York state regulatory restrictions, Youbet.com is unable to provide live video streaming for New York race tracks to New York residents until further notice."

Today I tried to watch live racing at Aqueduct using my Xpressbet account but received a similar message there.

Finally I tried the NYRA Rewards website because surely the NYRA site would show live video of its own product. On that site I couldn’t even find a link or button to launch live video. I emailed support but apparently I wasn’t important enough to receive a reply.

I don’t understand why I, along with all other New York state residents, am being punished by being prevented from watching live racing at my home track. I also don’t understand how this regulation makes any sense whatsoever.

It would seem the only options I have are driving to the track, driving to an OTB, or watching at home on TVG. My particular problem is that I’m out of the country and had relied upon my Youbet account to watch the races. No one has TVG where I am now. To add insult to injury two of my own horses are scheduled to run on Monday at Aqueduct and despite being the owner I now have no way of watching the races live.

1) Does anyone know of any website permitted to stream live NYRA race video to New York residents?

2) Does anyone know what is the rationale for preventing New York residents from watching their local track’s races?

For an industry crying about declining handle I can’t see what possible logic applies to this move. Who is the rocket scientist that conjured up this strategy? It would be similar to Coke deciding that the formula for their soda was so valuable that they weren’t going to offer any of it for sale…then whining about declining revenues.

Being a customer, breeder, and horseman in New York the frustration level increases on a daily basis. You have to wonder if there’s a sane mind out there overseeing our industry.

[northerndancer]

Yesterday I was notified by Youbet that "Due to New York state regulatory restrictions, Youbet.com is unable to provide live video streaming for New York race tracks to New York residents until further notice."


I feel your pain as I to received that notification from Youbet.

1) Does anyone know of any website permitted to stream live NYRA race video to New York residents?

2) Does anyone know what is the rationale for preventing New York residents from watching their local track’s races?

Being a customer, breeder, and horseman in New York the frustration level increases on a daily basis. You have to wonder if there’s a sane mind out there overseeing our industry.

I am also a customer, breeder/owner and horseman in New York and find myself out of the country quite often. The solution I developed is the use of Slingbox hooked to my television/SAT dish.

[hibiscus]

Who knows...maybe next the powers-that-be will prevent DRF from selling PPs to New York residents for races run in New York.



Better yet, maybe they'll deny us admittance to New York tracks.



That should work.

[Ron]

I thought the OTB channel was on basic cable in all of NY??

[hibiscus]

I thought the OTB channel was on basic cable in all of NY??

I don't think so. Maybe within the confines of New York City but not in my county where, incidentally, there are no OTBs either. No matter...I have DirecTV.



Since the first week of January regulators have systematically pulled live NYRA racing from HRTV and now Youbet leaving no source for watching live racing other than TVG which does me no good when I'm not in my living room.



Has anyone read any commentary on why they're doing this and how this is supposed to benefit anyone?

[Tom]

For an industry crying about declining handle I can’t see what possible logic applies to this move.


You are obviously smarter - by a great marging - than every single elected and appointed offical in NYS. This is stupidity of the highest (lowest??) level.
Bruno, Spitzer, and thier little playmates are digusting leeches who should be tarred, feathered, and run out of the state - on the Thruway, where THEY can pay the toll out!

TOS service prevent me from telling you how I really feel. :rolleyes:

[asH]

I thought the OTB channel was on basic cable in all of NY??

I guess that was part of the deal, the live feed was 'wrenched' (he,he excuse me...sounds a bit biased) off the New York cable (Optimum), and replaced with TVG...on the NYRA, I'mean Aqu web site they give special attention to Sunshine Tuesdays GP, and SAtracks...so now every body's happy except for the Players who frequented the Tues lineup from home.
asH

[wilderness]

You may watch repalys through the Canadian HPI:
http://www.horseplayerinteractive.com/

It does require registration with required fax of Id, however it's free to US Residents.
Whether the connection would work outside of North America, I'm not sure.
HPI has an assortment of freebies attached with registration.

[OTM Al]

I have Cablevision and still get both the OTB channel and TVG, which I subscribe to. This stupidity happend BTW as part of the whole frachise snafu. NYRA negotiated broadcast rights with all of these, but the Wagering Board changed the terms and didn't allow video to many outlets (remember those couple days when there was no feed to anyone other than OTBs?) Joe Bruno power play as he wanted to create another entity to control simulcasting rights. So now those of you outside NYS can hate our politicians too.

[Burls]

You may watch repalys through the Canadian HPI:
http://www.horseplayerinteractive.com/

It does require registration with required fax of Id, however it's free to US Residents.
Whether the connection would work outside of North America, I'm not sure.
HPI has an assortment of freebies attached with registration.

The replays come up pretty quick too; there's only about a five minute delay.
It's about as close to live as you can get.

[speldedo]

I would be willing to do that for Saratoga, but not for the Big A.

[Burls]

I would be willing to do that for Saratoga, but not for the Big A.

I can't agree more, though, that the New York state regulatory restrictions are just idiotic.
What is their plan?
To reduce the betting handle as much as possible just because they can?

[samyn on the green]

The other day paceadvantage member Jeebus posting the letter listed below. Every horseplayer from New York should hold their elected officials accountable and send a email to their state senator and assemblyman. To make life easy I will post the letter and the links so you can find and write to the elected officials that work for you. New Yorkers pay the highest taxes in the country, demand some value on your hard work. Stop letting the Assembly and Senate get away with corruption while we remain silent.

http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/

http://www.senate.state.ny.us/sdlookup.nsf/Public_search?OpenForm

As a horse racing bettor and fan, it is a shame that Section 1003 of the State Pari-Mutuel Wagering Law has not been amended to allow advance deposit wagering organizations like youbet.com, twinspires.com, TVG.com, et. al, to provide live streaming simulcast video of New York tracks. Not all areas of New York State are serviced by an Off-Track Betting corporation (i.e. Oneonta) and those fans who desire to play New York racetracks in those locales lose because they cannot view the races live. Horse Racing is a real-time game-of-chance, and the ability to watch the live broadcast from Aqueduct, Belmont or Saratoga provides bettors important information relevant to making wagers that is not available in print or on websites like DRF.com, NYRA.com, or the various newspapers that cover horse racing. If the language of Section 1003 of the State Pari-Mutuel Wagering Law is amended to include "advance deposit wagering companies" as able to distribute the simulcast signal, it would bring the present law up-to-date and would open simulcasting to all areas of New York State not covered by the regional Off-Track Betting corporations.

Down below is the current law, as written of Section 1003 of the State Pari-Mutuel Wagering Law. Please forward this to other state assemblymen and women so this law gets re-written and better serves the horse racing fans of the Empire State.

Sincerely,
<insert name here>

Except as provided herein, the board shall not approve any application to conduct

simulcasting into individual or group residences, homes or other areas

for the purposes of or in connection with pari-mutuel wagering. The

board may approve simulcasting into residences, homes or other areas to

be conducted jointly by one or more regional off-track betting

corporations and one or more of the following: a non-profit racing

association, a thoroughbred racing corporation or association or a

harness racing corporation or association; provided (i) the simulcasting

consists only of those races on which pari-mutuel betting is authorized

by this chapter at one or more simulcast facilities for each of the

contracting off-track betting corporations which shall include wagers

made in accordance with section one thousand sixteen, one thousand

seventeen and one thousand seventeen-a of this chapter; provided further

that the contract provisions or other simulcast arrangements for such

simulcast facility shall be no less favorable than those in effect on

January first, two thousand five; (ii) that each off-track betting

corporation having within its geographic boundaries such residences,

homes or other areas technically capable of receiving the simulcast

signal shall be a contracting party; (iii) the distribution of revenues

shall be subject to contractual agreement of the parties except that

statutory payments to non-contracting parties, if any, may not be

reduced; provided, however, that nothing herein to the contrary shall

prevent a track from televising its races on an irregular basis

primarily for promotional or marketing purposes as found by the board.

For purposes of this paragraph, the provisions of section one thousand

thirteen of this article shall not apply. Any agreement authorizing an

in-home simulcasting experiment commencing prior to May fifteenth,

nineteen hundred ninety-five, may, and all its terms, be extended until

June thirtieth, two thousand eight; provided, however, that any party to

such agreement may elect to terminate such agreement upon conveying

written notice to all other parties of such agreement at least

forty-five days prior to the effective date of the termination, via

registered mail. Any party to an agreement receiving such notice of an

intent to terminate, may request the board to mediate between the

parties new terms and conditions in a replacement agreement between the

parties as will permit continuation of an in-home experiment until June

thirtieth, two thousand eight; and (iv) no in-home simulcasting in the

thoroughbred special betting district shall occur without the approval

of the regional thoroughbred track.

(b) Any agreement authorizing in-home simulcasting pursuant to this

section shall be in writing, and upon written request, a copy shall be

provided to the representative horsemen's group of the racing

association or corporation that is party to said agreement. Such

agreement shall include a categorical statement of new and incremental

expenses directly related and attributable to the conduct of in-home

simulcasting. The representative horsemen's group may, within thirty

days of receiving the agreement, petition the board for a determination

as to the appropriateness and reasonableness of any expenses attributed

by either the racing association or corporation or the off-track betting

corporation.

[hibiscus]

Thanks for that info Jean Luc. ;)

It still begs the question as to why Youbet was permitted to stream the live video for years and then suddenly was forced to remove it. Were they skirting the law all this time? No one cared until suddenly now?

[NY BRED]

Hello Hibiscus:


Northern Dancer gave you the right info:

If you purchase the sling box, you can access any TV station on your
television via your laptop from anywhere in this world!


I'm fairly certain you will need to open an account with Tivo, which
I've had for about 8 years with no issues.


regards, and Good luck on Monday!

[hibiscus]

Thanks NY Bred.

I'm going to investigate Sling Box when I get home.

We've got another running on Friday in the 2nd at Aqu. She's been good to us. Hope she shows up off the layoff.

[jognlope]

They are on OTB channel right now.