The Thoroughbred industry and horse parks are all for gambling, especially if it is only legal at horse parks. I don't think they are worried about the competition in-state. When I go to Turfway, Keeneland, or Churchill, I don't go to "gamble," I go to bet on horses, whereas if I wanted to "gamble" I would just go across the river. Horse racing will only gain from the addition of other betting venues at the track.

The Thoroughbred industry and horse parks are all for gambling, especially if it is only legal at horse parks. I don't think they are worried about the competition in-state. When I go to Turfway, Keeneland, or Churchill, I don't go to "gamble," I go to bet on horses, whereas if I wanted to "gamble" I would just go across the river. Horse racing will only gain from the addition of other betting venues at the track.

How's that not a "gamble"?

How's that not a "gamble"?

 

Do you mean betting on horses? That isn't what I meant. What I meant in my previous post is that I don't have an abstract desire to go and "gamble," and fulfill it at a horse track. I go to the horse track, specifically, to bet on the horses and for the experience. I don't believe people say "I need to gamble: Turfway or Grand Victoria?" I think it is more of a "I want to bet the Lane's End

Stakes today", or, "I want to go and play blackjack tonight." If gambling becomes legal in KY, I'm not going to stop betting at the track.

Do you mean betting on horses? That isn't what I meant. What I meant in my previous post is that I don't have an abstract desire to go and "gamble," and fulfill it at a horse track. I go to the horse track, specifically, to bet on the horses and for the experience. I don't believe people say "I need to gamble: Turfway or Grand Victoria?" I think it is more of a "I want to bet the Lane's End

Stakes today", or, "I want to go and play blackjack tonight." If gambling becomes legal in KY, I'm not going to stop betting at the track.

Oh, OK. I'm sorry Habib, I totally misunderstood you. My fault.

I wish our legislation would use our poll.

I wish our legislation would use our poll.

Can I get an Amen?! :thumb:

W/re to Horse racing and how it would affected by expanded gaming:

 

Most plans I've seen call for slots and video poker and the like to be available at existing tracks and OTBs. There are thoroughbred tracks in Franklin (near Bowling Green), Henderson, Florence, Louisville and Lexington. Also, they would be at harness/quarter horse tracks, located in Lexington, Prestonsburg and Paducah, and there are plans for one in London. There are OTBs in Maysville, Corbin, Pikeville, Hazard, Pineville, Russell Springs/Jamestown that I know of, and probably several others I am unaware of.

 

The possibility of free-standing casinos has been mentioned, but I don't think it seems likely.

 

All plans for expanded gaming would direct a portion of the revenue into the racing industry in the form of breeder/owner incentives to keep their operations in state, as well as to boost purses.

 

IMO, this is key to keeping Kentucky at the top of the heap in the horse industry. Daily purses in Kentucky (with Keeneland being the exception because of its short meets) are on par with what would be considered "minor-league" tracks, such as Canterbury Downs, Suffolk Downs and Philadelphia Park. In places like West Virginia, Delaware, Louisiana and Iowa, for example, purses are supplemented by casino revenues, stealing top-notch horses away from traditional racing states like Kentucky and Maryland in search of bigger purses. A horse that wins a $5,000 claimer at Ellis Park in Henderson can likely run in a race for three times that amount in West Virginia, and probably would be running against less-talented competition.

 

Maryland is getting hit even harder than Kentucky, as Pimlico and Laurel Park have both fallen into disrepair, and the overall racing quality has fallen off dramatically from 10 years ago as breeders, owners and trainers head to Delaware and West Virginia, where the incentives and money are simply better. There has been talk in recent years of moving the Preakness Stakes to Gulfstream Park in Florida because of the financial problems facing Pimlico Park.

 

Horses are this state's signature industry, and we should be doing everything we can to make sure our state remains at the top of the heap. If they can consider moving the Preakness, is it really out of the question for the Kentucky Derby to go elsewhere?

W/re to Horse racing and how it would affected by expanded gaming:

 

Most plans I've seen call for slots and video poker and the like to be available at existing tracks and OTBs. There are thoroughbred tracks in Franklin (near Bowling Green), Henderson, Florence, Louisville and Lexington. Also, they would be at harness/quarter horse tracks, located in Lexington, Prestonsburg and Paducah, and there are plans for one in London. There are OTBs in Maysville, Corbin, Pikeville, Hazard, Pineville, Russell Springs/Jamestown that I know of, and probably several others I am unaware of.

 

The possibility of free-standing casinos has been mentioned, but I don't think it seems likely.

 

All plans for expanded gaming would direct a portion of the revenue into the racing industry in the form of breeder/owner incentives to keep their operations in state, as well as to boost purses.

 

IMO, this is key to keeping Kentucky at the top of the heap in the horse industry. Daily purses in Kentucky (with Keeneland being the exception because of its short meets) are on par with what would be considered "minor-league" tracks, such as Canterbury Downs, Suffolk Downs and Philadelphia Park. In places like West Virginia, Delaware, Louisiana and Iowa, for example, purses are supplemented by casino revenues, stealing top-notch horses away from traditional racing states like Kentucky and Maryland in search of bigger purses. A horse that wins a $5,000 claimer at Ellis Park in Henderson can likely run in a race for three times that amount in West Virginia, and probably would be running against less-talented competition.

 

Maryland is getting hit even harder than Kentucky, as Pimlico and Laurel Park have both fallen into disrepair, and the overall racing quality has fallen off dramatically from 10 years ago as breeders, owners and trainers head to Delaware and West Virginia, where the incentives and money are simply better. There has been talk in recent years of moving the Preakness Stakes to Gulfstream Park in Florida because of the financial problems facing Pimlico Park.

 

Horses are this state's signature industry, and we should be doing everything we can to make sure our state remains at the top of the heap. If they can consider moving the Preakness, is it really out of the question for the Kentucky Derby to go elsewhere?

 

:thumb:

Very informative post Jim! :thumb:

Very informative post Jim! :thumb:

 

Thanks! :thumb: It's not too obvious it's a topic of interest to me, is it?

I myself would love for them to put on somewhere along the ohio river in either Newport, Covington, Bellevue and such. Would be a lot nicer then the half hour drive to Argosy all the time.

 

As far as the horse racing thing, if I want to bet a horse race a casino isnt going to effect where I do it at. I'll still go to the race track if Im going to bet the ponies and watch races.

Disagree. In areas, that don't have easy access to a gaming industry except for the lottery and/or bingo, there is limited choices for them. I would assume people don't go to the local convenience store and drop $200 worth of or sign over their paycheck for lottery tickets.

 

Also, most charitable bingo halls are not open ALL THE TIME but have limited hours of operation. And for the most part, the charitable bingo halls see the money come DIRECTLY back into the county as it is a county/community charitable organization and not loss in the state revenue coffers.

 

You might be shocked of what type of gambling is available and how often people do it. Even in rural areas there are numerous types of gambling going on basically around the clock. There are bookies in most neighborhoods, most people do not know it even exists because they don't know what they are seeing or what to be looking for.

Does this mean Chicken Fights will become legal again?

I've seen as many homes and relationships hurt by the LEGAL Kentycky Lottery. Those scratch-offs are as addicting as crack to some people. As long as that lottery is legal, and betting at the race track is legal, then a casino or slot machine is no different and no greater threat to our social fabric as the others. I don't belive that you can equate the Lottery and Track betting with Cigaretts and Alcohol, and call a casino Marijuana or Meth. I just don't see an analogy there, although some will.

You might be shocked of what type of gambling is available and how often people do it. Even in rural areas there are numerous types of gambling going on basically around the clock. There are bookies in most neighborhoods, most people do not know it even exists because they don't know what they are seeing or what to be looking for.

Nope, I have heard about the slot machines in the back of businesses in our downtown area.

 

And on the issue of on-line gambling, not everyone has access to this. In a quick poll of my students, 2/3's indicated they did not have Internet access at their home.