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Officials Discuss International Commingling4 October 2006PARIS, France -- As reported by Bloodhorse: "Officials representing virtually every major racing country around the world with pari-mutuel betting have taken the first step toward creating huge pools through international commingling that could revolutionize the sport. "Gathering in Paris in conjunction with the annual meeting of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities, representatives from Japan, Hong Kong, Europe, the United States, Australia, and companies such as Magna Entertainment Corp. and Churchill Downs Inc. agreed to work on establishing a global framework of best practices for commingling. "...The potential of tremendous pools on premium caliber group/grade I races could be expected to stimulate fan interest in racing and generate more money for purses through increased handle fanned by the prospect of beneficial odds and lucrative payoffs. "...Obvious challenges to the concept include differences in betting rules from country to country, the necessity of foreign outlets adopting host betting standards, legal barriers between some nations, and development of a takeout system satisfactory to all. But the potential for growth that could be critical to racing's future outweighs the obstacles..." |