Potentially good news: Georgia Racing

[joeydb]

http://www.northwestgeorgia.com/stat...048111956.html

They would become the 39th state to have legal horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering.

It would be new to them, so it potentially could bring in a new, energized betting crowd.

[DaTruth]

Originally Posted by joeydb

http://www.northwestgeorgia.com/stat...048111956.html

They would become the 39th state to have legal horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering.

It would be new to them, so it potentially could bring in a new, energized betting crowd.

I love how that newspaper runs press releases from the Georgia House.

[VOL JACK]

I guess it would be good for the locals that want a place to bet, other than at home.
However, the racing would be total crap without slots.
They would be on island by themselves, with the nearest ttracks and major training facilities hundreds of miles away.

[tector]

We need less (and better) racing.

[DaTruth]

Originally Posted by VOL JACK

I guess it would be good for the locals that want a place to bet, other than at home.
However, the racing would be total crap without slots.
They would be on island by themselves, with the nearest ttracks and major training facilities hundreds of miles away.

A track near Atlanta could work, especially if they ran a short meet mid-summer. Run for a month and then use the next 11 months of OTB action to build up the purse account.

[joeydb]

Yeah, I guess I am thinking more of the OTB expansion rather than a new track.

But if that new track came online as an old one closed in the future, could help to not us lose too many tracks too fast.

[Sightseek]

Originally Posted by DaTruth

A track near Atlanta could work, especially if they ran a short meet mid-summer. Run for a month and then use the next 11 months of OTB action to build up the purse account.

Colonial essentially does this and they are struggling.

[freddymo]

More tracks are a great idea..Will the Breeder Cup be there in 2013?

[GPK]

Originally Posted by Sightseek

Colonial essentially does this and they are struggling.

I'm curious as to know if when Jacobs built Colonial and more specifically the OTB's, if there was some kind of limitations in regards to where they could be built, or was it left to the voters of different localities to decide if an OTB could be opened in their cities, towns, etc...

It has never made any sense at all to me as to the Northern most location for the OTB's is in Richmond. I mean, look at I-95 right there in Fredericksburg. Tons of traffic, tons of truckers stopping there. That place makes total sense to me. Why not at least one somewhere in Northern VA? Alexandria maybe? Right off the 495 beltway. If you don't want to go that far North, how about Woodbridge?

I mean, sweet Jesus, has anyone seen where Scott County is? I understand we have to reach out to back woods gamblers, but my God. And Martinsville? There is NOTHING in Martinsville. Maybe there was some kind of stipulation in regards to proximity of the actual track in New Kent.

Sounds like a good excuse to take a field trip to the OTB today

[DaTruth]

Originally Posted by Sightseek

Colonial essentially does this and they are struggling.

Atlanta has a metro area population of 5 million, so some attempt to tap into that market is not unreasonable. Award a single racing license for the area after inviting bids. Require the winning entity to build a network of OTBS. Once certain thresholds for a purse account are met, then require the license holder to construct a track and operate a short meet. If the purse thresholds are not met within a certain period, then the exclusive license expires and others are allowed to enter the OTB market. Atlanta horseplayers get OTBs and Georgia gets its tax revenue.

[PatCummings]

Originally Posted by VOL JACK

They would be on island by themselves...major training facilities hundreds of miles away.

I don't know what you are talking about here, but an absolutely major training center exists in Aiken, South Carolina, just a few miles from Augusta, Georgia. Darley is building a massive facility in Aiken as we speak. It is, maybe, 90 minutes to the Atlanta suburbs.