"Heads are spinning" in Pennsylvania as various racinos ramp up for business. Pennsylvania got smart and gave priority in slots licenses to facilities which already had thoroughbred racing.
And the N-J's Patrick Jackson reports that, at the same time, Delaware is already starting to "feel the squeeze" from nearby slots palaces. I can't imagine why. Perhaps it's because the Pennsylvania slots emporiums are run by recognized gaming companies which offer a true casino experience -- as opposed to the somewhat dingy atmosphere of Delaware Park, et al? (OK, forget the fact that Harrah's Chester is located right next to a state prison...)
The article also mentions that Bill Oberle is in favor of sports betting... but that he's incensed that Pennsylvania now allows free drinks at its racinos. Saith Oberle:
"I think a move like that is contradictory to everything that everyone's been trying to do in the interest of public safety. I'm very disappointed in the Pennsylvania Legislature and in Gov. Rendell for doing something like that. It's simply irresponsible from a public safety standpoint."Waaah! Where's he been for the past 30 years? Atlantic City casinos have had free drinks since they started running. There's no epidemic of drunks on the roads there.
Delaware's approach to the slots issue is typical of this state's thinking. When you start with the proposition that machines which spit out money when the wheels or video display come up with the right combination aren't really slot machines but "Video Lottery Devices controlled by the Delaware Lottery" since slot machines are specifically prohibited by Delaware law, you've got a major philosophical issue that mere sports betting isn't going to fix.
The other issue that is weird in this equation is this: Why the fixation on linking horse racing to slots? Why is Delaware so interested in subsidizing an industry which is, at its core, based on cruelty and eugenics?
Around 800 racehorses die each year from fatal injuries suffered on US racetracks. An additional number of approximately 3,566 sustain injuries so bad that they cannot finish their races. Several breeding and horse handling abuses contribute to the great risk of death and injury that horses face.
Breeders often race horses as young as two. These horses lack fully developed bone structure, and are more likely to suffer injury.
Due to selective genetic pairing and breeding, many racehorses are born with fragile bodies to begin with. Selective breeding does not provide the gene pool with diverse enough genetic material to avoid genetic defects that arise largely as a result of inbreeding. Because jockeys race horses year round on hard tracks, which give less and are therefor harder on a horse’s joints and bones, horses incur greater injury risk. Large corporate breeders race their "investments" too often in pursuit of profit.
To keep horses racing through pain, handlers administer Lasix and Bute. These pain relievers numb pain, but do not treat the injuries that cause pain. Consequently, these injuries get worse. Horses that suffer severe injuries as a result of drug induced racing get sold to slaughterhouses, a more profitable venture for breeders than euthanization. These horses suffer long cramped rides to the slaughterhouse without painkillers, in unfit trailers. Handlers also use Lasix to mask the presence of illegal substances such as steroids. (link)
And if you think this doesn't happen in Delaware, think again. Most injured horses aren't as lucky as Barbaro. In fact, Barbaro was the exception; normally, a horse with an injury like his would have been euthanized at the track.
