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Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind
Right. It is nice that people are talking about horses right now but whether or not this is creating new fans is debatable. I suppose it's possible, and better than nothing, but this whole notion of a TC winner helping the game has always seemed false to me.
Racing needs more bettors....and situations like NYC-OTB forcing a takeout increase are FAR more detrimental to the game than a TC winner could be helpful. A takeout increase will bleed people dry and force players out of the game.
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My circle of friends are probably the exact type of people that "the sport" is talking about when they say "new fans": dudes in their late 20s and early 30s who make decent money and can afford to bet on horses and actually like to gamble. However, at best, the sport MIGHT be able to captivate them enough to follow the Triple Crown, and maybe a few of the Derby preps. That's it. The chances that any of them will become regular horse players is zero. Why? Because it is impossible for them to feel that they have an edge over the other bettors. On random trips to the track that we have made over the years, I have heard this or a similar comment more than once: "Even if I understood all this stuff in the program (which I don't), I know there is a lot more to this betting equation than I can read here. So who in their right mind would bet real money, when they are essentially just guessing?"
In other words, my frineds would rather play poker, where they THINK they have an edge, than bet horses, where they know for a fact that if they don't watch 200 replays a week and study for 8 hours a day that they are at a disadvantage to better bettors.
In order to attract new bettors, this sport needs to make more changes than it is willing to or is capable of making. Period.