I don't see what the big deal is about slots? They're everywhere now. Mountaineer, Delaware, Chuck-twon, all of the Louisiana Tracks, Sunland, etc etc etc.
And those that don't have them want them. Churchill is trying to sell off Hollywood because California wouldn't legalize slots to put them in there. Canterbury has been trying to get them for years in Minnesota, but the Minnesota legislature won't approve them (eventhough Canterbury is gonna give a boat-load to the state if they're approved). Wasn't Bay Meadows sold off for the same reason? It was on a hot piece of property, and if you don't have a revenue stream good enough to keep operating, you might as well sell it off for the property value.
Maryland horse tracks think it's a necessity to get the slots to keep horse racing going in the state. That's not just a MEC thing, that's every track. I heard the New York tracks are even trying to get them put in. Aren't they gonna be available at Aqueduct now?
Here's horse racing's main problem to the casual gambler (which a majority of people are)- It's not convenient. You can go to casino 24/7/365 and play slots, poker, blackjack, etc etc etc. That's why the horse tracks want casinos, slots, etc, because they have steady revenue coming to them when the places don't offer live racing.
Look at how it has benefitted some tracks- Delaware, Mountaineer, and Charles Town offer nice purses. It's made the Lousiana tracks very profitable. Fairgrounds is finally gonna get them for this meet I think. I heard Churchill wasn't gonna buy the place unless slots were approved. The Delta Jackpot: that million dolar race for juveniles was funded because of the profits from slots. Canterbury only has a card room (no slots), and their revenue has gone up in the last 5 years. That's why Canterbury wants everything. Prairie Meadows was a dump before the got their casino. Now it's a nice place to gamble and watch races.
The bottom line- Casinos make $ 24/7/365 because they offer gaming 24/7/365. Horse tracks only make money when they hold live races and offer simulcasting. It's a matter of convenience. It sucks that it takes other forms of gambling to keep our beloved sport alive, but that's the cold-hard-truth these days if you're horse track that wants to stay in business.
Last edited by pmayjr : 09-07-2006 at 09:20 PM.
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09-07-2006, 03:34 PM
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