Quidditch (Who says you don't follow esoteric sports?)
If I could find the "italics" and had the patience, I would try to follow a neat, well-organized format in replying to your good questions.
The loss of NYOTB is no rpt no mortal blow to TVG; not much of a scratch, either. Actually, the TVG-NYRA-Churchill Downs bid had fallen apart earlier.
The joke about the NYOTB is that is it is only bookmaker in the world which loses money--several million a year on a billion-plus handle. OTB's are filthy, clerks strongly unionized and overpaid (Remember the wages of NY public school janitors?), surly and some not above short-changing immigrant patrons.
TVG's aim, as I see it, is to dominate interactive wagering. It does a good handle from Louisville, where it all started about five or six years ago. But it is playing by the rules and avoiding the Federal eye.
Frank Stronach is becoming the Bill Gates of the racing industry. An Austrian (or is it Hungarian?)-born Canadian, he owns Magna International, an auto parts manufacturer. He is buying up every race track he can get his hands on, runs a huge racing stable and is a huge thorn the TVG-NTRA (National Thoroughbred Racing Association) alliance to build back what once was--racing as a premier American sport.
Allow me to stop here before my ancient Mac freezes. |
