So much for consumer protection unless attempting to mandate fewer equine breakdowns is sufficient to justify ignoring the industry’s continued refusal to be cooperative and efficient in conducting its business. As a result, the assault on horseplayer’s wallets continues to drive both existing customers and potential new ones away from the game.

Equine safety is indeed a critical issue, but as much for economic as humane reasons. Horses bred for soundness, as well as for stamina and speed, will be less injury-prone and capable of collectively running more races over a given period. This leads to fuller, more competitive fields which in turn makes races more interesting and exciting to watch and wager on; thereby attracting more money bet on racing

But racing’s single biggest impediment to expanding its share of gambling dollars is the excessive portion of each dollar wagered on races that is not returned to winners. Consequently, even skilled players cannot play as long or as frequently as they could when takeout was much lower. There are simply too may hands that are not only extended for their share of that portion, but also trying to increase that share. Other forms of gambling – most of which require less skill, but all of which take less from each player transaction – now comprise an overwhelming majority of dollars spent on gambling.

Congressman Whitfield, assuming you are reading responses to your editorial, please focus on creating a central governing authority over racing that represents all of its stakeholders including the customer. Government, tracks, owners, breeders and players all need to support a decision-making body which balances the interests of all concerned to cooperatively and uniformly raise the quality of its product while lowering the cost to all.

ADW competition may be a contributing factor to racing’s current ills as one hand too many taking away more than its share at the expense of all stakeholders. Aside from preventing all on-line players from being able to wager on all races at all tracks through a single account, and to watch any desired race live, the extension of signal price negotiations to third parties is tearing the industry apart.

Lack of foresight, initiative, and common purpose kept tracks from developing cost-capped cooperatives for processing on-line wagers and providing live and replay video in the same way they did for collecting contestant performance data. This can, and should be, corrected at the conclusion of all existing ADW contracts.

If ADWs are to continue to exist as independent businesses, they should be compensated on a per-transaction fee basis, and video availability should be funded independently of wagering directly by the customer who could then choose between options including live paddock viewing as well as handle-prompting “expert opinions.”

The perversion of the pari-mutuel system known as rebating which provides high-volume bettors with effectively lower takeout needs to be terminated, and a level playing field re-established for all participants through lower direct takeout comparable with those of Hong Kong and Australia This is achievable by supplementing the preceding ADW reform with
1) Lowering horsemen’s costs for veterinary bills through a) substance-free uniform rules of racing , b) breeding reform, and c) changes to industry practices regarding horses under the age of three..
2) Discouraging inflated sales prices by reducing the number of over-valued graded stakes and re-distributing said purse money to open claiming and allowance events.
3) De-emphasizing races restricted to state-breds in favor of incentivized state-bred competition within open races.
4) Cooperatively scheduling graded stakes to avoid divisional conflicts and encourage competition and rematches at each grade level.
5) Reduce state and local tax rates to uniformly lower levels to achieve a net increase in share of expanded handle.

Such cost reductions would also improve the quality of racing nationwide; further contributing to increased handle while improving equine safety.

A strong racing commissioner not beholding to any stake holder group — who can effect unity as well as enforce uniformity — can save the sport for all of its passionate supporters. Such a commissioner, and governing body, could be defined and empowered through the IHA which currently empowers abuse of horses and horseplayers alike.