[thezbar]

Track owners and horseman are lobbying for 2 and 3 % increases on exotic wagers. Bad for horse players, could benefit rebate shops http://blog.horseplayersassociation....crease-in.html

[andywend]

California racing is just about on deaths door as it is and this proposed takeout increase might push it right off a cliff.

Its bad enough to ask the bettors to continue to wager on 5 horse fields but to charge them more for the privilege just isn't going to work.

Admittedly, California tracks have done everything they could to try and get casinos and they have been turned away by the powerful Indian lobby who believes that only on indian reservations should casino gambling be allowed (surprise, surprise, LOL).

There is no way California tracks can compete with other tracks across the nation that have racinos. The only reason why they are still around is because California is on its own little island with nowhere else to go for people interested in racing. However, that location advantage won't last forever.

[neila]

California racing is just about on deaths door as it is and this proposed takeout increase might push it right off a cliff.

Spot on. And not just CA. Funny, I have a 20+ year old book on thoroughbred racing by, I believe, James Quinn in which he talks about one of the greatest threats to horseracing being the exorbitant takeouts. I believe it was about 17% in the exotics at that time..