Quote:
Originally Posted by Cannon Shell
"And shouldn't some of the slots money have been used for something other than purses? Why not huge marketing campaigns or massive reductions in takeout? Have any Racinos invested in capital improvements for the racetracks and not just the slots parlors?"
Another example of the lazy journalism or just plain stupidity.
Finley acts as though the slot money is split solely between the purses and the state. So the tracks (which are usually the party that attends to marketing and capital improvements) shouldn't use their cut of the pie to increase their marketing budgets or improve their facilities? The state which reaps the benefits of slots with virtually no investment shouldn't contribute to racing via takeout reduction coming from their cut of the pie which is vastly diminished in importance with the onset of casino money?
While I agree it is incredibly short-sighted to not address the takeout, marketing and facilities, the idea that these are the responsibilities of the horseman is idiotic. The states have been handed billions of dollars over the years from racing and the tracks with racinos are making money hand over fist and they are only doing so because of horseracing.
Most owners are still losing money and the insinuation that we are running for "too much" money is usually made by those who have never actually had to pay to breed, raise or race a horse.
We all know that racing has done a terrible job setting itself up politically both nationally and on the state level. We all know that the contributions made by horseracing are routinely overlooked by politicians. We all know that most states are broke and desperate for cash. But the continued insinuation that the slot money that goes to purses somehow is wrong or bad for horseracing is based far more in idiocy and jealousy than fact or reality.
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Slot money is like great sex it felt the best right before it was over..