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Originally Posted by Simple Syrup
Pretty good idea if the goal is to get people from the slots to the track. The problem is that the track's goal is the opposite.
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I don't like slots myself, but I have friends who are slot players. They have entirely different mind set. I have talk to them about it a few times. They are pure gamblers. They are kind of people who if they were betting the ponies, they would be betting their house numbers. I don't think you can get very many of them to switch. Horse racing is too slow. Even with simulcasting, it is too slow. How many times can they pull the lever while one race is being run? Poker players and Blackjack players, maybe, but not slot players.
Of course you are right, no Racino will have any interest in converting other types of gamblers into horse players. They live for the day when they can close down the track and keep open the casino. I would too if I were them. I don't understand why anybody would think differently. There is a reason no racinos have lowered the takeouts on the most popular bets. They are trying to drive the horseplayers to lower takeout games. When all is said and done the race track will make money from a blackjack play betting same amounts per hour as horse player. The cost of providing the blackjack game is next to nothing. The cost of running the race eats up all of the takeout money. The way it is set up now, I am sure if handles doubled that the costs would almost double. If handle on the blackjack doubles, the profits sky rockets because the costs are fixed. For racinos to get interested in increasing the handle on horseracing, they would have to find a way to keep their costs nearly fixed.
