Value Tech Blog

Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races will offer free live video streaming of its races online beginning with the Dec. 23 program that gets under way at 7:15 p.m. EST.

Race replays also will be available free of charge online, officials said. The replay archive will offer all races held at the track the past two years.

The track’s website is hollywoodcasinocharlestown.com.

This would be unspeakably bad for thoroughbred racing. From bloodhorse.com: 

There still is no live racing schedule for 2011 in Maryland after a Dec. 21 meeting of the Maryland Racing Commission.

The commission met for four hours to discuss the situation even though an official application for 2011 racing dates wasn't on the agenda. Officials said no decision was reached on dates. For the rest of the article: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/60442/no-live-dates-in-md-preakness-threatened

What concerns me is that the decision makers in California, faced with falling handle, have decided to INCREASE the takeout on certain bets. This makes absolutely no sense. And what's worse, they then attempted to spin it as being better for the bettor. Humbug, I say. Here's what the Thoroughbred Times reported today: 

Hello! Thoroughbred Race Tracks! How about modeling what Remington Park is doing to increase handle? Big fields, good purses, wide open races, I may be speculating here but as an investor, these are the things that attract me to RP. Well done, Mr. Wells, well done

From the Associated Press:

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Track officials say that total wagering on Remington Park thoroughbred racing in 2010 rose by 48.3 percent from last year.

Scott Wells, the track's president and general manager, says almost $54.2 million was wagered on Remington Park races during the thoroughbred meet that ended Saturday. Track officials say the large increase is a result of higher interest from bettors receiving the track's export signal away from Oklahoma City. To read the rest of the article from the Brownsville Herald, click here: http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/sports/remington-120558-horse-rises.html

A package of bills to help revive New Jersey's struggling horse racing industry won final approval from the state Assembly Monday, as did legislation to boost gambling revenues by allowing sports betting at the state's casinos and racetracks.

Passage of the Democratic-driven bills sets the stage for Gov. Christie's proposed overhaul of Atlantic City gambling and horse racing. The Republican governor announced a sweeping plan on July 21 to turn both industries' flagging fortunes around. Last month, Atlantic City's 11 casinos reported a 12.5 percent revenue drop compared with a year ago. For the rest of the story from the Philadelphia Inquirer: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/front_page/20101214_N_J__bills_approved_to_revive_horse_racing__gambling.html

For the rest of the article: http://www.horseraceinsider.com/lines-in-the-sand/12122010-biting-the-hand/
 

Hoo boy, this should be good, I thought.

Didn't take long, in fact one sentence. Hang onto your hats, boys and girls, this is a doozie:

Are you serious?

Taking more out of a bet will present a BETTER WAGERING PRODUCT TO HORSEPLAYERS?

I don't know if it's a lack of understanding of the take, or parimutuel wagering, or some form of psychotropic drug, but this has got to rate as one of the stupidest statements I've seen in a long time about horse racing and wagering.

I am seriously considering a moratorium on betting California exotic bets. And not just for the extra takeout. But to punish such a lack of respect to the horseplayers, we who keep this game going. And, yes, to punish idiocy.

 

I say throw the book at him!

From the Associated Press: Lawyers say a Florida jockey charged in Detroit with conspiring to fix horse races plans to plead guilty.

Assistant U.S. Attorney David Morris in Detroit says he has a plea deal with Ricardo Valdes of Ocala, Florida. Defense lawyer Brian Russell acknowledged it while participating in a court hearing by telephone Dec. 8.

Valdes was charged last year with conspiring with two Detroit-area businessmen to influence the outcome of some horse races, including races at Tampa Bay Downs in Florida and Delaware Downs in Delaware in 2005 and 2006. The races were simulcast at Michigan tracks.