Quote:
Originally Posted by DGroundhog
Have the purses increased from those racetracks? A case by case basis might leave room for debate, but tracks committed to racing should have increased purses, increased the quality of racing, increased the quality of breeding, etc. That is where the monies are focused. Developing the thoroughbred racing and breeding industries.
A sad fact, most tracks that gain some additional form of wagering, whether it be slots or a card club, racing quickly becomes a second class citizen in their own venue. Often they are now bought up by larger gaming conglomerates, and there is ALWAYS a financial separation and analysis that nearly always show horse racing are a liability, not an asset. At best they turn a mild profit and are allowed to continue until a sufficient number of politicians are bought off to allow decoupling. Then the actual racing surface and backside can be sold off to develop a parking lot or strip mall, whichever is deemed more profitable.
AlsoEligible brought up a point that should be considered a key point - sports betting. West Virginia just approved it. Pennsylvania and others may be next. What happens next and how racing can compete or coexist with it may dictate what happens to many tracks around the country.
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You say this NOW...but before, you were telling us that we shouldn't insult the tracks, because they treat us horseplayers with "respect"...they "listen to our complaints"...and they "address them". And now you say that the racetracks are looking to "sell us out". Is that the "respect", and the "appeasement", that you previously meant?