Delaware handle nearly down $195 million since 2000

[AstrosFan]

Interesting story on how bad this game is getting, in terms of wagering handle, after reading a story on another racing site regarding the 2017 Delaware racing season

Delaware in 2000
Ontrack: $25.4 million / Offtrack: $264.3 million = $289 million

Delaware in 2016
Ontrack: $4.9 million / Offtrack: $88.7 million = $93.6 million

https://dda.delaware.gov/pdfs/dtrc/2...view_FINAL.pdf



How can most tracks survive this? I don't think they can

[lamboguy]

Originally Posted by AstrosFan

Interesting story on how bad this game is getting, in terms of wagering handle, after reading a story on another racing site regarding the 2017 Delaware racing season

Delaware in 2000
Ontrack: $25.4 million / Offtrack: $264.3 million = $289 million

Delaware in 2016
Ontrack: $4.9 million / Offtrack: $88.7 million = $93.6 million

https://dda.delaware.gov/pdfs/dtrc/2...view_FINAL.pdf



How can most tracks survive this? I don't think they can

you can't survive the way the place is being run, for that matter all of horseracing is run wrong in my opinion.

the crying shame is that people really want to support racing, but those people are not idiots, they know what is going on in racing and want no part of it the way it is now.

i am going to make a promise to those that run racetracks that don't get up off their asses, people will stop sitting and standing in front of slot machines at some point in time. so now they will have 2 headaches, empty racetracks and casino's.

[ultracapper]

Those numbers are mind boggling. It's not as if horse racing was at it's most healthy in 2000, which makes this condition critical.

[cj]

Delaware is run to have a casino. The racing is run for the horsemen, mostly by the horsemen, to suck up the slots subsidies for as long as they possibly can. Nobody that looked at the product on a daily would basis would consider most of the races worth betting.

[AstrosFan]

https://www.delottery.com/More/Video...y-Net-Proceeds

According to 2016 the 3 DE tracks got $148 million and the purses increased $35 million

[Jeff P]

From the page at the link you posted:
https://www.delottery.com/More/Video...y-Net-Proceeds

PRIZES PAID BACK TO PLAYERS

By law, all games must return between 87% and 95% of all wagers on an annual basis. Games can return above 95% with the Lottery Director’s approval.

According to the pie chart at the above link:

The video lottery terminals generated total proceeds of $352.6 Million for fiscal year 2016 using a percentage rake (or takeout) of between 5% and 13%.

How is it that tracks and horsemen are perfectly willing to let casino management and/or the lottery director use optimal pricing for the video lottery terminals?

But bury their freaking heads in the sand and steadfastly refuse to even consider doing the same for horse racing?

All the while watching their handle on horse racing go down year after year.

This applies not just to Delaware -- but to all tracks everywhere that are getting a slots subsidy.



-jp

.

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by Jeff P

From the page at the link you posted:
https://www.delottery.com/More/Video...y-Net-Proceeds




According to the pie chart at the above link:

The video lottery terminals generated total proceeds of $352.6 Million for fiscal year 2016 using a percentage rake (or takeout) of between 5% and 13%.

How is it that tracks and horsemen are perfectly willing to let casino management and/or the lottery director use optimal pricing for the video lottery terminals?

But bury their freaking heads in the sand and steadfastly refuse to even consider doing the same for horse racing?

All the while watching their handle on horse racing go down year after year.

This applies not just to Delaware -- but to all tracks everywhere that are getting a slots subsidy.



-jp

.

The tracks and the horsemen would respond that the video lottery terminals have no upkeep costs associated with them...whereas horse racing comes with great operational expenses.

[jeebus1083]

Originally Posted by AstrosFan

Interesting story on how bad this game is getting, in terms of wagering handle, after reading a story on another racing site regarding the 2017 Delaware racing season

Delaware in 2000
Ontrack: $25.4 million / Offtrack: $264.3 million = $289 million

Delaware in 2016
Ontrack: $4.9 million / Offtrack: $88.7 million = $93.6 million

https://dda.delaware.gov/pdfs/dtrc/2...view_FINAL.pdf



How can most tracks survive this? I don't think they can

Delaware racing was very New Yorkish in the early 2000s. A good amount of NY trainers kept a string at DEL and would often ship their NY runners into town when either a NY race wouldn't fill or they were simply looking for an easier, yet equally lucrative spot. Similarly, DEL trainers would ship their better horses into NY if they felt that they could compete. Once NYRA implemented their failed detention barn program in the middle part of the decade, the very same horsemen opted for the convenience of staying home for similar races/purses instead of dealing with the nonsense associated with detention and the risk of a horse becoming unhinged. That, IMO hurt NYRA for many years before the shrinking foal crop got to it's current state of affairs. The ultimate blow to DEL was ironically, Aqueduct's and Philly's Parx casino, as the very horsemen that DEL could depend on for ship-ins now had incentive to stay in NY or PRX. That, coupled with foal crop, has decimated DEL to a AA track at best. A shame since DEL was a AAAA level one rung below NY for a long time.

[RunForTheRoses]

Originally Posted by jeebus1083

Delaware racing was very New Yorkish in the early 2000s. A good amount of NY trainers kept a string at DEL and would often ship their NY runners into town when either a NY race wouldn't fill or they were simply looking for an easier, yet equally lucrative spot. Similarly, DEL trainers would ship their better horses into NY if they felt that they could compete. Once NYRA implemented their failed detention barn program in the middle part of the decade, the very same horsemen opted for the convenience of staying home for similar races/purses instead of dealing with the nonsense associated with detention and the risk of a horse becoming unhinged. That, IMO hurt NYRA for many years before the shrinking foal crop got to it's current state of affairs. The ultimate blow to DEL was ironically, Aqueduct's and Philly's Parx casino, as the very horsemen that DEL could depend on for ship-ins now had incentive to stay in NY or PRX. That, coupled with foal crop, has decimated DEL to a AA track at best. A shame since DEL was a AAAA level one rung below NY for a long time.

Yes, the Parx, AQU, and MD Racinos were the death knell for Delaware. Full blown sports betting might have helped a little but that didn't pan out.

It was good while it lasted, I still like to go there occasionally, beautiful track. It is noticeably less crowded now.

[CincyHorseplayer]

They all run on top of each other anyway and with most serious players betting from home and can decide what to play they are lower on the totem pole. Contraction needed.

[wisconsin]

A monster Atlantic Coast circuit would be the answer, but tracks, for stupid reasons, would never go for it. Imagine 12 horse fields and bigger purses everyday.

Parx
Laurel
Pimlico
Delaware
Penn National could runs some days

Rotate the dates and imagine what could be. Not that it would ever happen...

[AstrosFan]

Originally Posted by wisconsin

A monster Atlantic Coast circuit would be the answer, but tracks, for stupid reasons, would never go for it. Imagine 12 horse fields and bigger purses everyday.

Parx
Laurel
Pimlico
Delaware
Penn National could runs some days

Rotate the dates and imagine what could be. Not that it would ever happen...

Penn National is a disgrace to the racing industry and Penn Gaming Inc. wants NOTHING TO DO with horse racing.

[alhattab]

Originally Posted by jeebus1083

Delaware racing was very New Yorkish in the early 2000s. A good amount of NY trainers kept a string at DEL and would often ship their NY runners into town when either a NY race wouldn't fill or they were simply looking for an easier, yet equally lucrative spot. Similarly, DEL trainers would ship their better horses into NY if they felt that they could compete. Once NYRA implemented their failed detention barn program in the middle part of the decade, the very same horsemen opted for the convenience of staying home for similar races/purses instead of dealing with the nonsense associated with detention and the risk of a horse becoming unhinged. That, IMO hurt NYRA for many years before the shrinking foal crop got to it's current state of affairs. The ultimate blow to DEL was ironically, Aqueduct's and Philly's Parx casino, as the very horsemen that DEL could depend on for ship-ins now had incentive to stay in NY or PRX. That, coupled with foal crop, has decimated DEL to a AA track at best. A shame since DEL was a AAAA level one rung below NY for a long time.

Spot on. When I read your post my first reaction was what the hell is this guy talking about- Delaware racing was never good except for the slot era and that didn't start in early 2000s. Hard to believe it was 1995 or so when they legalized slots (the "Horseracing Preservation Act" or something like that).

I took a quick look at some old charts and saw a NW1x at Del for $38k and same at Belmont was $43k (short) or $44k (long). Delaware is stagnant and Belmont is worth about $77k.

[Afleet]

Originally Posted by wisconsin

A monster Atlantic Coast circuit would be the answer, but tracks, for stupid reasons, would never go for it. Imagine 12 horse fields and bigger purses everyday.

Parx
Laurel
Pimlico
Delaware
Penn National could runs some days

Rotate the dates and imagine what could be. Not that it would ever happen...

From DRF:

Delaware Park wagering increased 1.9 percent this year from 2016, with the meet handling a total of $95.77 million, up from $93.95 million a year ago. Both meets consisted of 81 live dates.

"While we were pleased with results of the 2017 meet, we are also well aware of the challenges before us," said Kevin DeLucia, senior vice president of racing/finance. "The reality of conflicting dates from other racetracks and the competitive casino environment in the region present difficult obstacles to overcome."

The 2016 meet was down 10.3 percent in handle from 2015, which also had an 81-day season. In 2013, Delaware handled more than $115 million during 81 days.

Field size at this year's meet declined 1.2 percent, from 7.23 horses per race to 7.14.

http://www.drf.com/news/delaware-par...-wagering-2017

[Afleet]

Originally Posted by AstrosFan

Interesting story on how bad this game is getting, in terms of wagering handle, after reading a story on another racing site regarding the 2017 Delaware racing season

Delaware in 2000
Ontrack: $25.4 million / Offtrack: $264.3 million = $289 million

Delaware in 2016
Ontrack: $4.9 million / Offtrack: $88.7 million = $93.6 million

https://dda.delaware.gov/pdfs/dtrc/2...view_FINAL.pdf



How can most tracks survive this? I don't think they can

Last year Paid up Subscriber was extremely compromised in a race where the Larry Jones trained favorite won. After the inquiry the stewards let it stand. Paid up Subscriber was literally knocked sideways. That was my one and only bet at Delaware last year. It never crosses my mind to play this track.

YouTube