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Vice Chairman Israel said regarding the takeout increase and the issue of price, “People often say we are competing with the casinos. I think that’s shortsighted and wrong. We’re not competing with casinos. We’re in the entertainment business. We’re competing with the Dodgers and the Giants and the Angels and the Lakers and we’re putting on a show. There are some expenses incurred by putting on a show. We need to do a better job of selling the concept that going to the racetrack and experiencing racing has real entertainment value – that it’s something people should be willing to pay for. It is not only a gambling experience. It is also a gambling experience. And I think the pricing reflects the concept that the people who put on the show need to be compensated for putting on the show. Jockeys are great athletes. They need to be paid. The trainers are great, essentially, coaches. They need to be paid. Frankly, jockeys and trainers make the kind of money that ballplayers and managers and coaches used to make 40 years ago. They are kind of working class athletic heroes. We need to do a better job conveying the message that these are great athletes, this is great entertainment, and you’re paying for the experience of betting once you get there because, frankly, the cost getting into this ballpark (a racetrack) costs virtually nothing. It’s a really good deal for the consumer and I think part of what this bill accomplishes is it recognizes that fact. These people need to be compensated and we need to take care of them.”
There's no way someone in a higher-up position in California REALLY said this, right? Please tell me this is all a big misunderstanding.
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