wagering

On Monday Equibase released its January figures for the Thoroughbred industry's economic indicators, which showed increases in purses and number of races but downturns in total daily wagering, average wagering per race day on U.S. races, and field size. Overall, total purses of $90,069,945  in the first month of 2023 increased by 9.7% over the figure of $82,102,162 reported a year ago. However, January's $874,180,855 in worldwide commingled wagering on U.S. races showed a 7.19% drop in total wagering, and the average wagering per race day number of $3,298,796 represented...

Despite previously announcing that interstate simulcast wagering would resume Friday, Feb. 3, Sam Houston released a statement Friday morning postponing it. "We have determined that more time is needed to fully evaluate the many legal complexities surrounding recent court decisions and the HISA amendment enacted by Congress at the end of last year," the statement read. "While we are eager to export our signal across the country, our commitment to maintaining federal and state compliance remains our top priority. We will export our signal across state lines when we are...

The main takeaway from last year's California purse and handle numbers is one of stasis, with no significant movement in any one direction compared to 2021. A roughly 2.5% increase in the number of California races run in 2022 over 2021 is framed against a half-percentage point decrease in purses and an even smaller fraction of a percentage decrease in all-source handle. "It was like holding serve in 2022," said Bill Nader, newly minted president and chief executive officer of the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC), which once again put...

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) generated all-sources handle of $2,321,863,828 during its 2022 race meets conducted at Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course. The year was highlighted by the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course where all-sources wagering rose to a record $878,211,963 in 2022, eclipsing the previous high-water mark by nearly 8%. In addition, the 2022 summer meet generated average daily handle of $21,955,299, which is the highest such figure in the history of Saratoga. On-track handle in 2022, which includes New York residents wagering...

Purses rose significantly in September this year compared to September 21 while wagering on U.S. races saw a slight uptick, with a similar split showing for the third quarter of 2022 vs. 2021, according to the economic indicator statistics released by Equibase Wednesday. Wagering totaled $936,206,774 in September, a 2.68% increase from the total of $911,734,704 in September 2021. This year's number, however, was a 9.98% drop-off from the $1,040,000,472 wagered in September 2020. Wagering per race day was $2,317,344, a 7% increase from last September, but an 18.67% drop...

Assiniboia Downs recorded near-record wagering for the 2022 meet, which ended Sept. 28. with the second-highest wagering handle in the track's history. A total of $55,326,730 was wagered over the 50-day meet, which was second only to the amount recorded in 2020. "To conclude this season with the positive results we achieved is a true testament to the team we have out here working for us, and the will and determination of the horse people involved at all levels," said CEO Darren Dunn. "It seemed challenge followed us throughout 2022....

After failing to properly calculate Kentucky's newly implemented penny breakage at two Standardbred race meets in July, the totalizator services provider United Tote Company has been fined and ordered to "seed" a future exotic wagering pool with $4,445.77, which equals the amount that the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) determined should have been paid out to bettors had the calculations been correct. According to an administrative ruling dated Sept. 12 and signed by Waqas Ahmed, the KHRC's director of pari-mutuel wagering and compliance, United Tote "provided improper totalizator services" on...

Wagering on U.S. races held largely steady in comparison with 2021 figures, with year-to-date wagering reaching $8,604,332,789--up 0.24% from the 2021 figure of $8,583,460,027. During August, U.S. wagering was $1,194,876,167, a dip of 0.86% from last year's figure of $1,205,251,116. Through August, U.S. purses were $843,635,983, an increase of  12.29% from the corresponding 2021 figure of $751,274,418. During August, U.S purses were $130,206,874--up 3.66% from the August 2021 figure of $125,611,453. Comparing year-to-date figures from 2022 to 2020, wagering on U.S. races is up 17.76% and purses are up 62.57%....

Some 23 years after it debuted, the TVG network underwent a major shift Thursday, its first day not as TVG but as FanDuel TV. There's a new name and a new direction. Between midnight and noon each day, racing coverage will not exist. Instead, the network will feature a number of shows that focus on sports wagering during those hours. While that may not be well received by TVG's loyal viewers, FanDuel executives insist that racing coverage is not going anywhere. Better yet, they believe they can introduce sports bettors...

Saturday's 13-race Runhappy Travers Day card, highlighted by Epicenter (Not This Time)'s victory in the 153rd running of the $1.25 million GI Runhappy Travers, generated record setting all-sources wagering handle of $55,559,315 and had the highest paid attendance since 2015 at 49,672. The 2022 figure eclipses the prior Runhappy Travers Day record of $52,129,346 in wagering from all-sources, which was established in 2019. On-track handle was $10,373,124, or 10.3 percent higher than 2021, when on-track handle was $9,406,526.

By Scott Finley After an opening day of casino and conventional gaming panels, the focus of Wednesday sessions was on developments in racing, including a review of the newly launched Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act and a thoughtful panel on how fixed-odds betting can positively impact the American horseracing industry. Lisa Lazarus, newly appointed CEO of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) spoke of the challenges her organization has faced in launching the initial phase of the Federal Statute that created HISA. Of the 21 states that host live...

"One of the most urgent issues facing our industry is that of improved electronic security for the pari-mutuel wagering system." This simple declaration was part of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA)'s five-year strategic plan covering 2006 through 2010, and published in 2005. Approaching two decades later, there has been little progress on the topic, and recent wagering incidents in the summer of 2022 highlight the long-term failure to address these problems. If you think the stewards are always in charge of stopping wagering when the race begins, think again....