Slots don’t increase betting on the ponies

Sunday’s Baltimore Sun discussed the effects of slot machines at racetracks in the neighboring states of West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Delaware.

The article starts out discussing Delaware Park (pictured at left.) It mentions that the grandstands are almost empty on many days while the casino area is crowded with people playing the slot machines. While the crowds are sparse for the actual races, the number of horses and jockeys competing in the neighboring states is high because of the increase in purses funded by slots.

The move to legalize slots again was fueled by the Maryland Jockey Club’s decision to cut the purses for races at tracks in Maryland. The President of the Jockey Club insists that, despite evidence to the contrary in neighboring states, the crowds at races will remain high just because of more interest in horses in Maryland.

The article mentions that live betting on horse races has decreased in all 3 neighboring states since they added slots. A West Virginia Racing Commission official tells the paper that the relationship between adding slots an increasing the interest in horse racing is an “inverse” one. Without reading the article discussing the advertising of the tracks in the Baltimore market, any casual observer can tell you that there is little if any mention of any horse racing at the venues in other states.

While slots may save the purses and the racing industry, they apparently will result in races for larger purses that nobody will be watching.