California Approves Off Track Betting Sites

In an effort to pump new blood into the struggling horse racing industry California legislators have approved new off track betting sites. The approved counties include Los Angeles, Kern, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara and Ventura. There will be fifteen new Off Track Betting (OTB) wagering sites. Last year horse races in California drew wagers of $4.4 billion.

The first of these new sites is the Commerce Casino located at 6131 Telegraph Road in Commerce, California, and it will serve as a test model to gauge the success of the initiative during these trying economic times. The Racebook at Commerce opened in July of 2009 and features mini satellite wagering from California and Eastern United States race tracks. There are 26 television screens available for viewing the races so every one is guaranteed to get a good seat.

State and gaming officials are hopeful that the Commerce will be the first of forty-five new ‘mini satellite’ sites that will be allowed to take up residence in not only casinos but also sports bars, card clubs and other gathering spots. These will be in addition to the 34 betting facilities already in operation at racetracks, tribal casinos and fairgrounds.

Under the new law, approved businesses can file an application with the California Horse Racing Board for one of the 45 new sites to be granted across the state. Fifteen of these sites reside in each of three racing zones. The new sites have to be located at least twenty miles from any existing satellite wagering facility unless they have permission from the operators of that site.

It is possible that people who patronize the racetracks will take their business to the OTB sites. The larger, more popular racetracks including Hollywood, Del Mar, and Santa Anna will benefit in the long run because they will collect a share of every bet placed at the OTB sites on all races run at their respective parks. There is also the possibility that people who have never been to a racetrack would take the opportunity to check out the action at the casino’s where they already do business.

Horse Race Betting - Statistics, Heart or Gut Instinct

There are people who love to bet on the horses. They all have their own way of determining which horse to bet on. There are those who only consider the statistics to help them find profitable betting angles. They look at the past wins for sure but also study the trainers, jockeys and the blood line of each horse. They study the finish position and the amount that has been paid out when the horse raced before. These betters usually get and study the tip sheets where past performances are outlined. The tip sheets are prepared by professional handicappers. Some people always bet on the favorite because they traditionally win about a third of the time. The only drawback with betting the favorite is that a lot of people bet that way. Because of that fact the return could be relatively safe but the pay out is usually small.

There are those betters who just love a particular horse. They don’t care about how the horse has performed in the past or what the tip sheets have to say about them. They could care less about the odds. They may like the way the horse looks or walks. They may appreciate the liveliness of the animal or may actually feel sorry for him because he is the long shot. It might be that they have a soft spot for the jockey or just like the way the horse and jockey look together. Because it is based on feelings rather than statistics its outcome is doubtful but the better will not be daunted by that. He bets for the love of betting.

Lastly, there are those enthusiasts who place their bets using good old gut instinct. Maybe they notice an edge the horse might be exhibiting. Maybe they think it is the horse’s lucky day. It could have been a voice in their head telling them to take the chance or something he read or saw that struck him. Maybe it was just a coincidence that led him to a particular horse and/or jockey. They may not even understand the bet themselves; they only know they have to place it.

No matter what technique is used, horse betting is a past time enjoyed by many. Most will tell you that it is not the win or loss that brings the excitement, but the running of the race. How do you bet - gut, heart, or statistics?

The Sport of Horse Racing

People have been racing horses since the animal was first domesticated around 4500 BC. I believe it is human nature to make a sporting event out of every possible scenario. I can see it now. As soon as there were two domesticated horses, the owners started bragging about his horse being the best and fastest. Words had as little meaning then as they do now. It had to have been a ‘put your money where your mouth is and show me that your horse is faster than mine’ kind of situation. Thus we had the beginning of betting on the ponies.

Horse racing was and is a sport to be appreciated by everyone. Kings as well as common people owned horses and used them for work and/or sport whichever fulfilled their need and held their interest at the time. In the beginning the horses were used for dual purposes but today’s race horses have ancestors that were bred and cross bred purely for their size and speed.

The nomadic tribesman of Central Asia are credited for domesticating the first horses and I believe they had no idea that they were beginning and enabling a sport that would last and flourish for nearly ten thousand years.

Horse racing evolved into a professional sport in the early seventeen hundreds. As the horse racing grew and aged, it became necessary to set up undisputable rules to regulate the sport. Each new race track had to be built according to specific standards and had to be approved before racing was allowed. Rules were put into place for Jockey’s as well, one of the more commonly known ones is in regards to jockey's personal weight. Many think that jockey's have a height restriction, however there is no regulation in place for that, it is just that the majority of jockey are short in stature.

Millions of people attend horse races every year and bet billions of dollars on their favorite horses. New comers and shrewd old timers bet not only on the horse most favored to win, but also on the long shot who will return the largest purse. It is legal to bet on horse racing in most parts of the world, including the United States. If you are planning on taking a little trip around any area that houses a horse track, you may just want to stop in and see what all the hype is about. Lay a few dollars down and give your luck a try.