SEARCH NEWS:

 

Maine OTB betting down

"In The Turf Club at John Martin's Manor in Waterville, a few dozen race fans are studying their past performance forms, cramming like college students, trying to glean as much information as possible.

"...It's a scene playing out at off-track betting facilities across the country. In Maine, the people making the wagers are getting older, and lines at the windows are getting shorter.

"...The total handle, the amount wagered, in Maine's four off-track betting establishments last year was close to $25 million dollars, and another $25.5 million was wagered at the state's intertrack facilities, Scarborough Downs and Bangor Raceway.

"And those figures are a decrease from previous years, according to Henry Jackson, executive director of the Maine Harness Racing Commission, which oversees the state's off-track betting. The total handle in 2006 was down 5 percent from 2005 and has been declining steadily for a few years, he said.

"...The decline in off-track betting in Maine can be traced to two primary reasons.

"One is simple demographics. As a generation of horse racing fans gets older, it has less chance to get out and less discretionary income to spend wagering on the horses.

"...The other reason is the number of entertainment choices. To Barbarino, those who do have the money to spend on bets often go to out-of-state casinos, or they might spend a day at Hollywood Slots in Bangor rather than the OTB..."

< Gaming News