
Horsemen Seek Involvement in Betfair Deals
Thoroughbred horsemen plan to meet with Betfair officials Dec. 7 to ensure they are party to contracts the Great Britain-based company is signing with United States racetracks for their content.
Thoroughbred horsemen plan to meet with Betfair officials Dec. 7 to ensure they are party to contracts the Great Britain-based company is signing with United States racetracks for their content.
There may not be imminent decisions in the ongoing debate over high-volume betting shops and computer-assisted wagering. The industry remains split on mechanisms that have increased or shifted pari-mutuel handle, depending on the point of view.
Several advance deposit wagering companies have yet to secure contracts for the Breeders' Cup World Championships, a consultant said Oct. 15.
TrackNet Media Group will allow customers of Elite Turf Club and Racing & Gaming Services who wager $1 million or more annually to receive rebates on TrackNet races, the racetrack content company announced Aug. 1.
Betfair, the rapidly growing exchange-wagering provider based in Great Britain, believes it could provide up to $50 million in new revenue for itself, racetracks, and horsemen by 2008 should it be permitted to operate in the United States.
Keeneland will not make its live racing available for simulcasting to five outlets located both inside and outside of the United States. The official announcement was made Friday, the opening day of the 16-day meeting in Lexington.
As the National Thoroughbred Racing Association Wagering Systems Task Force prepares to hear recommendations on ways to address the "handle up, purses down" situation, operators of high-volume betting shops believe they might be a target and suggest that, as generators of up to 15% of annual handle in North America, they should be directly involved in the process.
California regulators decided Feb. 20 that they will hold off on considering a cutoff of wagering at post time from betting through the Lewiston, Maine simulcast hub, which processes wagers for rebating giant Racing and Gaming Services.
California Horse Racing Board chairman Roger Licht said he favors changing state law to allow the pari-mutuel industry to pay rebates to its customers.
Churchill Downs announced Friday that it will provide simulcast accounting services to Racing and Gaming Services, a company on the Caribbean island of St. Kitts that handles wagers on Thoroughbred, harness, and Greyhound races.