Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Downthestretch55
Eric,
You've given lots of insight. Thanks.
IMHO there are plenty of "games" being played. This is to the detriment of NY racing.
Slots are a draw, but not the total answer. Last year, at Finger Lakes where one of mine runs, there were many letters written and signed by myself and many others, where the hope was to increase purses and put in a turf course with the money generated by the slots. You see how that went down.
Too many fingers are grabbing that pie.
Games, games, and more games do not serve the bettors, horsemen, or frankly, the people of NY. I really hope this nonsense ends soon.
DTS
|
I don't see the Finger Lakes situation the same way others do. Finger Lakes is owned by Delaware North -- one of the largest privately held corporations in the world. When there was money "available" to be put back into the facility, very simply, there was an ROI/ROR decision to make. It wasn't a case of too many fingers -- it was a case of for-profit management looking to spend money where they made it and where they are certain they will get a ROI/ROR. That can be a very common problem with VLT's.
Track management/owners must be obligated and must commit to putting money back into the racing side of the facility, the backstretch, etc. and of course purses. We cannot let track management/owners pass the buck -- or in this case the bill -- back to horsemen, the horsemens associations and others by saying those improvements should be paid for out of their end (the horsemen's end). Then the track management/owners are not in the racing game any longer. They are truly casino operators.
Like I said, the answer, IMHO, is not just and exclusively in VLT's. It is more global than that. It is about VLT's, alternative revenue sources, and all of the other things I mentioned.
Eric