wagering

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....

Like fast-falling dominoes, the 2018 Supreme Court decision flinging open the legal doors to sports betting has already led to 30 states allowing some form of this gambling, and now it's California's turn to potentially join the party, with two such initiatives on the state ballot this November. The first is Proposition 26, an initiative called the Tribal Sports Wagering Act spearheaded by American Tribes which, in short, would allow sports wagering at Tribal casinos and at approved racetracks in California. Most crucially, it still prohibits mobile or on-line wagering...

The ever-expanding business of betting in America is in a difficult-to-predict flux right now, and one entity's risk is another's potential reward. "The gaming industry, generally, and horse racing, as a part of that, is one of the most dynamic industries on the scene today," Patrick E. Brown, a New York-based attorney who specializes in gaming and public policy, told TDN in a phone interview. "There's the obvious increase in sports betting and fantasy wagering, plus new technologies and advances making it so easy to wager. It's also way more...

American Thoroughbreds raced for purse money in excess of $125 million during the month of May, an improvement of more than 17% over the corresponding figure from 2021, according to figures released Monday by Equibase. During the month, bettors put $1.41 billion through the windows, representing a fractional decrease from last year. Over the course of 399 race days in May--the precise number from 12 months ago--purse money averaged $313,461, up from the $267,712 in 2021. With five months in the books, gamblers have wagered over $473 billion, a healthy...

Caesars Sportsbook and NYRA Bets, which together announced in March a new horse racing account wagering app, have officially launched the Caesars Racebook App in both Florida and Ohio. Additional states are slated to be added throughout the year. Now available for download on iOS, Caesars Racebook utilizes the NYRA Bets platform providing bettors with pari-mutuel wagering on premier racing content from more than 250 tracks around the world. New customers registering for Caesars Racebook will be eligible for a 100% first deposit match up to $500. "The new Caesars...

It was a hectic week in the Thoroughbred business with all eyes firmly focussed on Louisville, Kentucky. Here are some facts and figures that you might have missed in the rush. Record Numbers... Wagering from all-sources on the Kentucky Derby (single race) totaled $179 million, up 15% over 2021 and up 8% from the previous record of $166.5-million set in 2019. This year's wagering record includes $8.3 million of handle put through the window in Japan. The Smart Strike Factor... As a broodmare sire, Smart Strike has the distinction of...

A crowd of 147,294 witnessed Rich Strike's (Keen Ice) 80-1 upset in the 148th running of the GI Kentucky Derby Saturday at Churchill Downs. Wagering from all-sources on the Kentucky Derby Day program totaled $273.8 million, a 17% increase over 2021 and up 9% from the previous record in 2019 of $250.9 million. Wagering from all-sources on the Kentucky Derby race totaled $179.0 million, up 15% over 2021 and up 8% from the previous record of $166.5 million set in 2019. This year's wagering record includes $8.3 million of handle...

Purses are up 15.17% for April 2022 at $103,144,902 compared to $89,560,470 in April 2021. Race days, races and starts have also increased with 14 more race days this April than last year at this time. Meanwhile, wagering is down 2.06% from in April 2021 $1,102,169,529 to $1,079,452,871 in April 2022. Average wagering per race day has also decreased 6.74% from $3,950,428 to $3,684,139. However, wagering is up .19% for the year.

Keeneland closed its 2022 Spring Meet Friday with all-sources handle in excess of $219 million to establish an all-time meet wagering record for the track, and a third consecutive season of record handle. The Lexington oval offered record average daily purses of $1.147 million, attracting an average of 9.1 starters per race. "This Spring Meet was unmatched in many measures, most of all the fact that everyone seemed to revel in the energy of having fans back in full force on race days," said Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin....

As part of its wagering menu for Kentucky Derby day May 7, Churchill Downs will offer an 'All 3-Year-Old' Pick 3 and an all-dirt Pick 5 wager, both of which close with the Run for the Roses. The 3-year-old Pick 3 will have a minimum $3 stake and includes the $500,000 GII American Turf and the GII Pat Day Mile before concluding with the Derby. Like all rolling 50-cent Pick 3s, the wager will have a 22% takeout. An all-dirt, all-stakes Pick 5 will have a 50-cent minimum and 15%...

LEXINGTON, KY--The Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI) announced the official launch of the Sports Betting Regulators Association (SBRA) during the closing session of the group's 88th Annual Conference on Safe Horses and Honest Sport. ARCI president and CEO Ed Martin explained that the formation of the SBRA has been in the works for several years and was organized to meet a growing need to support government agencies assigned with the responsibility of regulating sports betting within their jurisdiction. Sports betting in America continues to expand and has now been...