[DaTruth]

Originally Posted by Travis Stone

One of the most tired arguments I hear people make is that you pay $50 to sit at a ballgame, so sitting at the track for $20 is quite the deal. Well, when they start offering gambling at the ballpark, let me know, otherwise that argument is super weak.

Most racetracks make about ~20% off a dollar wagered on-track on the live product. Without factoring in contributions to purses, taxes etc., a $20 seat given away for free would need $100 worth of wagering action to offset its worth, provided it's on the live product.

Would random visitor, if given a $20 seat for free, wager $100? If they were not given the $20 seat for free, and had to pay for it, would they wager $80? That's assuming that visitors when attending the races have an average spend of $100.

At Lone Star, the per-capita wagering is not $100... people go to the track and enjoy racing, but don't really bet. So, offsetting their lack of action with a seat cost makes sense.

The question is... what is a fair price for a seat?

Casinos know how to treat their customers who finance the operation. The tracks, with some racinos the exception, haven't figured this out yet or are just too stupid or greedy to care.