Belmont’s Instant Racing Debate

Belmont’s racetracks have recently been hurting since people aren’t going to races as often as they used to. On one hand people are just trying to be more frugal and careful with their money, now that the economy has taken another turn for the worst. On the other hand, it can definitely be said that it is horseracing itself that has suffered from a nosedive in popularity, since it is a pastime that has not been at its peak since at least 30 or 40 years ago. Perhaps it is because people want more immediate games to play, or activities with more of a technological aspect to them.

If the lack of techie goodies is the actual reason for the decline in popularity in Belmont’s racetracks, then their latest idea is truly genius. The tracks are trying to get approval for these new machines that are essentially virtual betting machines. They allow players to contribute to and win from a pool of prize money. The machines also allow players to bet on old races.

The controversy lies in the fact that opponents claim that they are slot machines and that the racetracks are trying to get more slot machines approved through backdoor ways. They say that the presence of slots would attract more people into racing and up the addiction levels in the county.

However, Belmont tracks maintain that the machines are not slots at all, since they do not have chance factors and are more for virtual racing. With the popularity and familiarity that today’s twenty somethings have with technology, it simply would be a good business decision to incorporate technology into an old pastime.

Back to January 2009 Archive.