miff Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Moose,
>
> Many gamblers I know will play on oaks/derby day
> and not thereafter.Will be interesting to see how
> CD meet plays out handle wise.
>
> Mike
Miff, I don\'t know the business, but it strikes me as penny-wise, pound foolish to do something like this, or raise the price of admission to Saratoga. I\'d love to see the rationale from the numbers\' wonks, and any historical data that suggests this is a good move in the face of the declining popularity of the sport in general. I know NY OTB has survived for years in spite of whacking bettors for an extra 6%, but the only major nut they have to worry about covering is the expense account for their management team. The big bettors are looking to squeeze every nickel they can out of rebates, or micro-managing pools, so why should they give up percentage points to a track that puts out a fair-to-middling product? This is the mixed blessing of the whole slots morphing into horse racing scenario. It keeps the sport afloat, but once they\'re in, they just as soon forget about it.
