Certainly right regarding the union which has been the obstacle at every turn in any of the NYC OTB negotiations... So, let the union keep the bricks and mortar location jobs... but turn the internet and phone wagering over to NYRA Rewards to run. This came within inches of happening several weeks ago.

As to the consolidation of the other regional OTB corporations, the Task Force on the Future of OTB report addressed that quite coherently. Of course the report and its' suggestions, which weren't all ideal but had a lot of merit, is already gathering dust in Albany.

I'd be all for turning the internet and phone wagering over to NYRA, but based on some conversations with Capital OTB officials, I suspect that the other OTBs would balk, as I think they'd hope to get some of the NYCOTB business and wouldn't let NYRA have it to themselves.

I do know that you are right about the union issue which is a huge problem on the OTB end. In fact, unions are a huge problem that NY, and virtually any state government around the country for that matter, has in the fight to balance budgets and reduce spending in this economy.

That being said, with the mess that Frucher has created NYCOTB will probably never be more ripe for the opportunity to merge into the racetracks. Considering that the other regional OTB's are also crying they are paying too much to the tracks, it would be nice to see this BS backfire and for the legislature to eliminate all of them, cut out the middleman, apportion the business amongst the state's tracks and reduce the takeout as well on off track wagers (which likely would even lead to more handle and more profit to the tracks).

I can't see why NYRA and the other tracks could not assume the union contracts and then be subject to negotiating them when they expire which would then have no affect on the unions with regard to a merger, effectively neutralizing them. More of an obstacle in my lay opinion (and I only am a layperson making suggestions based upon common sense) is the patronage issue, even if the unions are so far up the Democrats azzes with their contributions such that the legislators bow to their unreasonable wishes.

If the media really exposed the patronage problem it could force the legislators to eliminate it while having the benefit of giving the tracks the ability to sustain themselves and stop or severely reduce the drain the industry would put on the State. While this makes too much sense, such things are only fantasies when they would severely hurt contributions to corrupt politicians. Since Patterson has nothing to lose, he might relish in eliminating the patronage to those who turned on him, but I realize that I am dreaming.

Q&A with New York City OTB chairman Frucher
 

http://www.otbfuture.com/

Reports if anybody is interested in reading it (VERY dry and boring, of course, but some salient points made)