Stop Predatory Gambling

It’s official: the Sport of Kings is dead

by spgadmin

Horse racing has long been described as “the sport of kings.” But for the last twenty years, in the face of declining interest in horse racing, track owners have spent their resources adding slot machines and other gimmicks to make more money for themselves instead of committing to improve the appeal of racing to a broader audience. In state after state where track owners have added slot machines, interest in racing continues its steep decline. The “handle” on live races – the amount of money wagered on live racing- plunges lower and lower each year.  

A Kentucky Circuit Court ruling released on Wednesday is the final straw. It upheld, in an unsteady argument, the legality of “instant racing machines” at Kentucky horse tracks. Instant racing machines are electronic gambling machines that allow users to wager on races that have been run in the past. The ruling is even more remarkable when you consider it came from the state with the richest horse-racing tradition.

Thoroughbred Times news editor Ed DeRosa accurately said: “I can’t speak for the tracks, they haven’t said this, but my personal feeling is that this is the gateway drug. That they’re hoping legislators and constituents in Kentucky see that expanding gaming can work at race tracks.”

No self-respecting racehorse breeder, owner, trainer, jockey or horse-racing fan can honestly declare that slot machines “Instant Racing Machines” are the equivalent of pari-mutuel wagering.

Congratulations to The Family Foundation of Kentucky for taking on the lawsuit in the first place and its commitment to appeal it. You can read the Circuit Court ruling here.