Question regarding where my $2 goes?

[King Ritchie]

Where EXACTLY does my $2 go?
1. If I bet it at the track.
2. If I bet it at Twinspires
3. If I bet it at TVG
4. If I bet it overseas
5. If I bet it an OTB site.
(Have I missed anything here?)

Otherwise, I'd like to know EXACTLY who gets my money and if possible what percentages go where?

[Zman179]

Since the average WPS takeout rate is 17%, $1.66 gets paid back to the bettors and 34¢ is retained by the track. Of the 17%, roughly 7% would go to the racetrack, 5% for purses, 4.5% to the state, and .5% to a state capital fund.

If the bet is placed off-track, then the track running the races would only receive roughly 3%, or 6¢, from each bet. That 6¢ would then be divided up between the state, track and purses. The remaining 28¢ wold be kept by the location that accepted the bet and would be divided up accordingly.

At some OTB's (especially in New York and Illinois,) an additional 5-6% surcharge will be levied against winning wagers. In the case of the New York OTB's, this surcharge is divided between the state, county and city/town where the OTB branch is located; the larger share of the surcharge goes to the state. No surcharge proceeds are returned to the racetrack nor the horsemen.