I very much would like to make a post telling you that it was the Illinois Horsemen who are responsible for this.
But that isn’t the whole truth.
The whole truth is that horseplayers everywhere are responsible for this – because we are the ones who keep enabling it.
It has become crystal clear that horsemen have been (silently and behind the scenes) waging a war against the horseplayer for some time now.
Horsemen are organized and well funded. They have been able to hire lobbyists who in turn have been able to exert quite a bit of political influence on horsemen’s behalf at the state government level.
Their preferred method of attack against the horseplayer goes something like this:
Hire lobbyists and “sick-em” on the staff consultants and the men and women elected to public office at the State House of Representatives and the State Senate, as well as at the Governor’s Office and press for a change in state law. Find a State Assemblyman or a State Senator willing to sponsor a bill written by the horsemen to “save” racing.
Language is written into a new bill that calls for money to be removed from the wallets of horseplayers and handed over to horsemen. The bill goes into committee where staff consultants working for elected Assemblymen and State Senators “analyze” it. A “statistical analysis” that has been prepared by the horsemen or better yet one that has been prepared by horsemen and “rubber stamped” by the state Racing Commission accompanies the bill.
Of course, in every case, these statistical analysis reports are flawed because they completely ignore the fact that racing handle is price sensitive. Whenever the cost of making a bet goes up (source market fee) or the payout returned for making a winning bet is lowered (a takeout increase) – handle numbers respond by going down.
From there, lobbyists present the horsemen’s side of things to members of the Legislature (over lunch and cocktails.) In essence, the Legislature and Governor’s Office is told “Racing is in dire financial straights. We need you to pass this bill to save racing.”
With support from the racing industry (the horsemen) and with little or no opposition from the public (the bettors) - the bill comes out of committee - gets voted on and passed - and is signed into law by the Governor.
As evidence, I give you Exhibit A:
In Virginia, it was a 10% ADW source market fee. In Washington, it was a 7% ADW source market fee. In California, it was a 6.5% ADW source market fee. As if that weren’t enough, California’s horsemen went back and asked the Legislature for more. SB1072 which became state law on Jan 01, 2011 increased the takeout on exotics wagers for the live racing product by 9.7% for two horse bets and 14.5% for three horse bets respectively. In Wyoming, it was a 5% ADW source market fee. In Oregon, it was a 5% ADW source market fee. Kentucky is currently considering an “ADW registration fee.” In Texas, ADW wagering was outlawed. In Arizona, betting on a horse race from “outside the racing enclosure” was made a Class 6 Felony.
The question isn’t “How many states are going to enact similar legislation?”
The answer (if we as horseplayers sit idly by and allow it to happen) is: “ALL of them.”
The only way we as horseplayers prevent this from happening in other states, and get it reversed in the states where it has already happened, is to stand up for ourselves and fight back.
That means becoming organized (through HANA or some other horseplayer’s organization.) That means growing the organization virally. I’m talking about volunteer soldiers on the ground signing up new horseplayer members, raising significant money, writing letters (by the thousands) to elected representatives, hiring our own lobbyists – and seeing to it that State Legislatures are made aware of OUR side of things.
Until or unless we are willing to do that – expect the horsemen to keep waging war on us – and expect them to keep winning that war.
The real question is: Are we as horseplayers EVER going to get serious about fighting back?
Jeff Platt
President, HANA
HANA Sign Up Link:
http://visitor.r20.constantcontact.c...SBooHZlKL7-MLc
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Just received this in the mail
