Quote:
Originally Posted by dilanesp
1. People bet on other sports too. Indeed, sports betting is a big part of the rise of pro football and the NCAA tournament, among other things.
2. If horse racing's decline were exclusively a betting phenomenon, why did boxing decline at the same time? And why did other sports rise up?
3. The racetracks used to be filled with what were called "$2 bettors". Yes, they bet, a little. But their main affinity for the sport was aesthetic, not gambling.
Indeed, for most of horse racing's history as a major, popular sport, it was actually very hard to make a big gambling score. When horse racing was popular, there were very few exotic bets. A daily double, and then later on a handful of exactas. It was a much, much worse gambling game back then than it is now. And yet it was more popular.
And even now, where horse racing still IS successful, it attracts lots of casual bettors. Like at Saratoga or at the TC races.
4. I am sorry if it offends any older posters on this board, but I think it is absolutely stupid and self-destructive for any sport to cater to old people. Old people get sick and die, and they also never make any activity they are involved in hip and trendy and marketable.
You want to have horse races available to bet on for years to come? You need to attract younger people. Period.
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I can mostly agree with #1 & #2 but #3 I believe is wrong. I used to go to the racetracks when they were filled with $2 bettors and they weren't there to just look at the pretty horses and the trees. They went to gamble. They went to the races because that was the only game in town. If aesthetics were such a draw the $2 bettors would still be flocking to the track.
As for #4, tell me, Mr. Marketing Director, how would you make racing hip and trendy? Given that old people have more money and more time to spend it wouldn't it be foolish just to kick them to the curb?
