AND racing wonders why it is losing fans! I've read the comments of those that are in support of this but I wonder if you are clueless!
Casinos let you park for free, let you in for free and AND GIVE YOU FREE DRINKS because THEY MAKE MONEY ON YOUR WAGERING! Is the higher admission price resulting in the takeout at Saratoga being lowered? NO Are Casinos closing and costing themselves money by giving away these freebies that race tracks DON'T give you?
WAKE UP PEOPLE. I've heard the STUPID argument that fans pay high entrance fees to see a baseball or football game (which I don't have to pay any takeout fees or need to wager on as a fan of my team)so I should expect to pay an entrance price to see racing?? WRONG. Saratoga racing is not enjoyable if I don't wager on the races so does anybody go there to not wager? TAKEOUT is where the money is made
Racing was not on TV very much during its heyday in the 50's-70's because the racetracks thought it would hurt attendance, how did that help the sport? Charging for parking and admission is something racetracks do but not casinos! WAKE UP!
Saratoga is the best way to bring new fans to the game but having fans start off $10,$20 $30 or more in the hole(depending on family or group size) for the opportunity to enter a track so you can wager on races with high takeouts is not a way to bring in new fans! There is a reason why so many tracks have closed(Arlington, Hollywood, etc) and the casino bailouts can only last so long!
WAKE UP PEOPLE THAT SUPPORT HIGHER ADMISSIONS! The game is dying and this is the type of reasons why! The $2 bettor can fall in love with this sport if they are not overcharged to try it out just like I did 30 years ago! When will racing ever learn? The betting whales are not the backbone of the sport, the little guy is and once again, racing is doing its' best to eliminate the little guy!
Please excuse some spelling and grammatical errors as I was ready to go to bed when writing this but the message is not WRONG! Raising admission to ANY track is not good for the sport that has high takeout on wagering!
