Handle attendance down...

[thespaah]

Meets ending early due to reduced slot revenue..Where doees it end?
How can the horse racing industry stop the bleeding?
Here's my suggestoins/ observations.
There are far too many racing jurisdictions fighting for an ever shrinking pool of bettors/patrons.
What should be done is state governments to form regional racing alliances. Forget these petty differences in racing/wagering rules. Consolidate meets and refuse dates to unprofitable facilities. Reduce winter racing in cold climates. No one goes anyway and the on-line/simulcast betting drops to the lowest numbers in winter.
Instead of tracks in adjacent states and in geographic proximity running concurrent meetings, run regionally. Keep tracks in close proximity from killing each other. Nobody wins.
Come up with effective marekting strategies to younger people to inject new fans to the sport.
Tracks should treat bettors like valued cusomers instead of people to be taken advantage of.

[lamboguy]

Meets ending early due to reduced slot revenue..Where doees it end?
How can the horse racing industry stop the bleeding?
Here's my suggestoins/ observations.
There are far too many racing jurisdictions fighting for an ever shrinking pool of bettors/patrons.
What should be done is state governments to form regional racing alliances. Forget these petty differences in racing/wagering rules. Consolidate meets and refuse dates to unprofitable facilities. Reduce winter racing in cold climates. No one goes anyway and the on-line/simulcast betting drops to the lowest numbers in winter.
Instead of tracks in adjacent states and in geographic proximity running concurrent meetings, run regionally. Keep tracks in close proximity from killing each other. Nobody wins.
Come up with effective marekting strategies to younger people to inject new fans to the sport.
Tracks should treat bettors like valued cusomers instead of people to be taken advantage of.your solutions are the same as what everyone says. it leans to consolidation and accepts less patrons in the game. i agree that it is tough to run horses in the dead of the winter, to many cancellations these days, and not perfect conditions to train in, makes for more injuries. but i have some deeper more complex solutions that take alot of money and work and percervierence to perform. the first step is to recognise that there is a severe and fatal problem confronting the game and extreme measures are needed to sustain this game.

[JustRalph]

Cut the tracks in half and open up new markets........like those states where betting thru an ADW is illegal

[Murph]

Cut the tracks in half and open up new markets........like those states where betting thru an ADW is illegalConsolidation and wagering issues on the national level lead to matters of state sovereignty (http://www.tenthamendmentcenter.com/) and states rights. Given the current political and economic climate it is hard to see this happening for horse racing for many years. I think more immediate solutions have to be found within the current fragmented structure. If ever.

[rrbauer]

If you're AARP-eligible (55 or older) then hunker down for more-of-the-same for the-rest-of-your-life. Younger than that? Try poker or day-trading. Both have action and profitable opportunities.

[jonnielu]

Consolidation and wagering issues on the national level lead to matters of state sovereignty (http://www.tenthamendmentcenter.com/) and states rights. Given the current political and economic climate it is hard to see this happening for horse racing for many years. I think more immediate solutions have to be found within the current fragmented structure. If ever.

The structure of organized racing is not fragmented in the least, if it were fragmented at all, you would have seen a new idea at play by now.

Racing is extremely well controlled, obviously, to those in control, having a fan/bettor base is less important then stripping every last dime from the fan/bettor through the existing infrastructure.

jdl

[BombsAway Bob]

If you're AARP-eligible (55 or older) then hunker down for more-of-the-same for the-rest-of-your-life. Younger than that? Try poker or day-trading. Both have action and profitable opportunities.
RB, the magic AARP # is 50...
I've gotten 5 AARP cards in the mail since I hit the Big Five-Oh!