handle

Last November, Democratic Kentucky state representative Matt Lehman told the TDN he was considering legislative intervention in an effort to curb computer assisted wagering (CAW) play in the state to a more equitable standard for all players. The debate around CAW players typically surrounds the edge they wield over regular gamblers thanks to their use of sophisticated technologies that allow them to precisely read the markets and to place massive wagers across many pools in the final seconds of betting--which can lead to extreme late odds changes--as well as the...

Oaklawn Park welcomed a total attendance of 104,250, hosted average Saturday crowds of more than 13,000, featured 132 races--including 15 stakes races over 13 race days--and had an average field size of 9.78 horses per race during it's new Holiday Meet, the Hot Springs track said in a Tuesday press release. "The Holiday Meet delivered exactly what we strive for at Oaklawn--great racing, strong fan engagement, and meaningful momentum," said Louis A. Cella, President of Oaklawn. "The competitiveness of our fields and the enthusiasm from both on-track and off-track players...

According to the annual Thoroughbred Economic Indicators report released Monday by Equibase, the total figures for two of the sport's most important categories declined in 2025. Thanks in part to handle being down 7.32% in December, handle for the year was down 2.10% when compared to 2024 figures. A total of $11,028,652,933 was wagered in the U.S. as compared to $11,265,666,064 in 2024. Handle peaked in 2003 at $15.18 billion. When factoring in inflation, betting handle has fallen about 57% over the last 22 years. The year 2025 marked the...

WatchandWager.com has renewed agreements with Monarch Content Management Group and the New York Racing Association (NYRA) to accept wagers on their racetracks in 2026, according to a press release from the betting outfit on Thursday. The renewals with Monarch allow WatchandWager players to place bets at 19 racetracks, including Gulfstream and Santa Anita, while the NYRA deal gives those horseplayers access to 17 racetracks, which includes Saratoga. WatchandWager has obtained renewals of all of its state-by-state ADW licenses for 2026. Among those individual licenses are California, Colorado, Kentucky, New York...

Wagering on U.S. races during the month of October experienced nearly a nine percent uptick and purses also saw significant growth compared to a year ago, according to information released by Equibase on Wednesday. Total wagering of $867,928,259 on races during the month represented a 8.99% increase over the same period from 2024, while available purses of over $115 million were higher by 8.13%. The figure of over $109 million for paid purses in October was also up by 7.59%. As for the total number of race days, they decreased...

Total all-sources handle for the two-day Breeders' Cup World Championships at Del Mar, held Oct. 31-Nov. 1, reached $180,036,799, the third-highest amount in the event's 42-year history. It marked an increase over the 2024 amount of $179,218,631, but ranked behind the $189,060,373 at Keeneland in 2022 and $182,908,409 at Del Mar in 2021. On-track attendance at Del Mar Saturday was 35,173, with the two days combining for 65,232. On-track handle for the two days was $18,079,169. Total common-pool handle on Saturday's full card was $118,028,444 and Friday's card was $62,008,354....

All-sources handle for the 10-race program on Future Stars Friday at the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club was $62,008,354, the track announced that evening. 2025 marks the fifth straight year that the Friday handle has exceeded $60 million. Friday's on-track attendance was 30,059 down just a smidge from 30,982 when the Breeders' Cup was held at the same track. On-track handle was $6,216,798, also down slightly from $63,679,944 last year. Racing returns to Del Mar Saturday with a 12-race card which includes nine more Breeders' Cup...

Edited Press Release Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire})'s impressive victory in the GI Rogers Woodbine Mile highlighted a strong Turf Champions Day for Woodbine Entertainment. Turf Champions Day featured three Breeders' Cup Challenge Series "Win and You're In" races. An all-sources handle of $13,026,804 ranks the 2025 edition among the top-five Woodbine Mile day handles. The Woodbine Mile generated $2.1 million in wagering, a 23 percent increase from the 2024 race. Among the other wagering highlights was a 64% increase in the GI Johnnie Walker Natalma S. ($1,688,101 vs 1,030,495),...

With on-track handle the highest since prior to the pandemic, Saturday's 166th running of the King's Plate at Woodbine brought in over $4 million in wagering. Overall, the 13-race card generated over $17 million in all-sources wagering, which marked the third highest in event history. The Plate record, set in 2023, holds at $18.1 million. This year's card generated the highest dollars wagered per starter of any Plate program and debuted the new "Kings & Queens Pick-3" wager that offered a $5 minimum and 15 percent takeout. "We were confident...

Saturday's 13-race Whitney Day program at Saratoga Race Course generated record wagering handle of $49,651,341, officials at the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) reported at the close of business. The figure represents a 22.7% increase over the prior Whitney Day record of $40,461,888, which was established in 2022. Five graded races worth $3.2 million in purses, including the GI Whitney Stakes--a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic Nov. 1 at Del Mar--and three other Grade I events, highlighted the stellar card at the Spa...

The six-month Winter/Spring meeting at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, closed Sunday, June 15, with 'encouraging' gains in handle, field size and on-track attendance, according to a release from the track. With over 6,800 horses having raced during the meet and more than 375,000 training sessions on the main and synthetic tracks having taken place, track officials report a safety mark of 99.98%, cementing its status as the safest track in North America among those with a comparable volume of racing and training. "This year was a transitional one...

The 12-race Belmont Stakes Day card, highlighted by Sovereignty's (Into Mischief) victory in the GI Belmont Stakes, generated all-sources handle of $101,861,883 with a paid attendance of 46,243, NYRA announced in a press release Saturday evening. Originally a 14-race card, heavy rain in the Saratoga Springs region Friday and Saturday forced all races off the turf and canceled both the GI Jaipur [Race 9], a "Win and You're In" for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint; and the GI Resorts World Casino Manhattan [Race 12]. That pair of Grade I's...