“Online gambling's threat to the Racehorse industry”

Lobbyists for the Bay State’s business of racetracks have been attempting to contend with the industry of online gambling, and have been endeavoring for many years to obtain slot machines without any success to-date. However, in the interim, any person residing in the state and wishing to gamble online can in the comfort of his own room turn on the computer and access dozens of online casino sites. Following this step the potential player can now select to place wagers on any games such as roulette, blackjack, poker, bingo and others.

As a result a groan has gone up among the operators of racetracks moaning at the Internet gambling industry’s popular progress. The inclination of players to move away from the racetrack and on to the attractive Internet gambling games seems to be an unceasing and endless process, this attraction has increased as online casinos offer participants from ten to fifteen percent cash refunds on all wagers.

Although the government in the United States has made gambling via the Internet illegal, considering this activity compatible to the illegal use of phone lines for betting as outlined in the Wire Act of the 1960s, individuals who have gambled on the Internet, have in the main, not been arrested by law enforcement officers who have been lax in their treatment of Internet gambling. This means that in the long term billions of dollars have been lost by gambling casinos located offshore. The result of this rush to Internet gambling has been expressed by George Carney, the owner of Raynham-Taunton Greyhound Park, when he describes it as having an arm tied behind the back while both legs are in chains. Ten billion tax-free dollars is considered to be the vast sum which has been analyzed by experts in the field of Internet gambling that will be wagered throughout the nation on the online gambling. David Flynn (D – Bridgewater) plans to contend the endeavors of those who are trying to turn online gambling into complete illegality, by stating that these efforts are getting completely out of control, and they’re to our detriment. And in his concern for the damage to raising the unemployment in the state, Flynn also added that we’ve not been strict enough in caring for some six thousand employees working in the industry. In actual fact, he states, that it’s really gloomy that we’re abetting the demise of the racing industry.

Satellite television is another threat facing the racetrack industry in addition to online gambling, as this media enables gamblers to bet and wager accounts on actual horse racing from the comfort of their home. Television and online gambling permit betting throughout the world on an unrestricted basis, and this is comparison to horse racing which is well regulated. According to Gary Temple, Raynham-Taunton’s assistant manager, this type of gambling is ruining the well-regulated racing industry by being bookies without regulation.

Some people in the racetrack industry are optimistic by the government’s stand against online casinos in Barbados and Antigua; however, the majority sense and are afraid that the industry of the racetrack will continue to go downhill due to the fact that Internet gambling is so popular that it’s power cannot be eliminated completely.