Friday, September 10, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

RICHARD ENG: Tracks should give casual bettors a break

A trip to Del Mar last Monday with a group from Station Casinos reminded me how much fun horse racing is. It also reminded me that live horse racing is at a huge price disadvantage compared with casino gambling.

For two people going to the Del Mar clubhouse on the weekend, for example, it would cost $8 each for admission with a track program, $8 apiece for reserved seats, $5 to park and $4 per copy of the Daily Racing Form. That's $45 in expenses before you make a bet. Add two hot dogs and two beers, and that's $20 more.

In a Las Vegas casino, the only item you'd have to pay for is the hot dog, and at a Coast Resorts race book that's only 75 cents. The rest is free, admission, overnights, seats, parking, the beer and the DRF, if you qualify.

How can horse racing compete against that big of a cost disparity? It starts with giving casual fans a chance to win.

I don't mean teaching them how to do speed figures or make their own par times. Most horse racing fans won't go to those lengths. I call for reducing the price of betting so casual fans can make a score.

The wagers in which players can make a score are the Pick 6, Pick 4, Pick 3, superfecta and trifecta. You should be allowed to wager in smaller increments than $2 or $1. Reduce it to a quarter, 10 cents, even 5 cents.

It's a Las Vegas mentality. Here, you can play slots for six-figure progressive payouts for as little as a penny. The maximum play might be 50 or 100 pennies to win the jackpot, but the dream's alive. The idea works here, and it'll work at the racetrack.

In the same vein, I would reduce the takeout on straight wagers to 10 percent or less. Allowing bettors to win more money and churning the profits is better than high takeout rates and taking the money out of circulation.

Crying wolf to politicians who are catered to by Indian tribes and casino companies has been a losing battle. How about being creative, and start by helping the little guy out.

Richard Eng's horse racing column is published Friday. He can be contacted via e-mail at rich_eng@hotmail.com.