The “National Council of Legislators From Gaming States” is an umbrella organization of the state legislators responsible for the regulation of gaming across the country. The Council is holding its summer meeting in July. A primary area of focus will be horseracing. Here is how the Council is promoting this particular panel on its website:
“Most horse-racing tracks cannot fill all of the races they intend to run. Racing programs are inundated with short fields. Handles are declining proportionately. Racing is not attracting younger fans. A panel of experts will address these serious challenges at the Summer Meeting….”
– cannot fill all of the races
– short fields
– declining handles
– not attracting younger fans
Not even trying to hide it.
Then there’s this from Fonner Park CEO Chris Kotulak (in the Paulick Report yesterday) as he waits for final approval of corporate welfare for his beloved industry:
“This winter, before, during and after the Nebraska legislative session, I’ve been very outspoken in my efforts to communicate the dire straits that the Nebraska horse racing industry has fallen into. … I hoped to offer increased purses this year but couldn’t. The hard fact is that there is never a day of mutuel handle at Fonner Park that covers our purses for that day. … I remain bent on increased purses and am working all angles to achieve that – whether we have slot reels spinning by our 2023 condition book or not. … Truthfully, without casino operations, it’s a weak outlook.”
Again, there it is. Horseracing, as a rule, is a losing proposition in the 21st Century. Now, if only we can convince those legislators.
who is doing a petiton to nebraska legislators to start with and passing it around
Never a day of mutuel handle that covers our purses. Them and every other track.
This may be a good time for the legislators to take a serious look at how those subsidies are spent. It would be more beneficial for society with monies going where monies would do more positive and much needed attention.
Twenty-thousand fewer Thoroughbred horses born into racing in the USA since 1990 means fewer horses these racing degenerates can abusively exploit and kill. The public needs their taxes to work for the common good. Deliberately causing injuries and death to horses is NOT something that should be publicly funded!!! This practice of ROUTINELY ABUSING HORSES should be recognized as the Felony Animal Cruelty that it is and be terminated from all government subsidies and government-directed benefits!!!!!
Yessssss!!!!!!! Wanda – exactly
“I am bent on increasing purses”. There it is, incentivizing the already corrupt.
People, be good losers and shut your race tracks down.
It appears that the terms “horsemanship” and “sportsmanship” are terms these people don’t really understand. They don’t practice true horsemanship. As far as being “good” losers, these racing degenerates would not know exactly how they were cheating if they did not have rules to break. Only the termination of government subsidies and government-directed benefits to this horse-killing business will slow their corruption down.