I’ll have a beer, and $10 to win on the four…

by Ed Meyer

posted on November 25, 2012 in Blogroll, General Discussion, Horse Racing, WinningPonies.com | No Comments >>

I worked for a very nice little racetrack. It had a turf course, a solid oval, and a loyal customer base. Since the explosion of casino-style gaming taking the lead, I remember back to a little talked about tool they had in their possession.

The track did pretty well over the years, but the competition from local casino action had all but choked out the game. The new ownership is tearing down the grandstand, and will re-invent itself as a Racino. This is the blend of a casino and a racetrack. They have some plans that really look to future, and they will make this into a destination place. But, I digress…

Five miles away, there will be a mega-casino that will shake the area. The plans look incredible, and there are sketches of glamor restaurants and super-machines of gaming. This may nullify all of the hard work and plans that the little racetrack by the river has planned. But wait just one second… There may be a little discussed plan.

They have in their top pocket two off-track wagering licenses. If the projected mega-casino has the magnetic pull to attract customers. Maybe it would be wise to examine an off-track wagering complex. They already have the blessing for VLT’s and video gaming, and if you add in the sport of kings there may be another glimmer of hope.

Now, it may not have the attraction of the bigger entity, but you may turn a tidy profit by offering another form of gaming. Horse racing can be enjoyable, and if players will not make the drive to you then take the game on the road and open a sports-bar atmosphere with food, gaming, and of course racing. It would be located less than a half mile away from two professional sports teams, and have the look and feel of a “badass bar” with the abilty to allow patrons to watch all of the best in sporting action and get your bet on at the same time.

This day dream came to me while I was at the Bengals game. I heard so many fans talking about what they had bet, and drinking a cold beer while watching the action. It got me to thinking that watching sports brings out the “betting blood” in all of us. For fans of poker, racing, or even slots there is the “big” game on screen. Why not place the location close to where the new gaming will be located? They can still continue on with building the new track for the future. But for now there could be a viable product that would be a part of the downtown action. Heck, it may just be an avenue of cross-promoting your “Badass Sportsbar” with the new track. With that thought in mind, the Bengals scored on a long run, and the place went crazy. All that I could think of was the next big game, and do some betting over a cold beer. Now, what more could any gambler ever want?