The state of harness racing in Southern CA was examined
by Bill Christine of the L.A. TIMES. While "in some
respects, the numbers look healthy," Christine writes that
"profits at the major" Southern CA tracks are "soft" because
they take on extra partners when their races are beamed to
other tracks. Hollywood Park Chair R.D. Hubbard: "The key
to the future is getting our television signal into the home
for betting there. This could be the salvation for racing."
Christine added that "at least" seven states already have
legalized interactive betting at home. In KY, Churchill
Downs, a Louisville cable company and On Demand Services, an
interactive entertainment company, are offering betting to
more than 1,000 homes not far from the track. This test-
market operation has accounted for $8M in betting over a 20-
month period. Santa Anita President Cliff Goodrich: "The
results are mixed on interactive betting ... It's an
expensive system that will create interest and eventually
help our on-track business. I've yet to see a sport suffer
by getting a lot of exposure on television. We have to get
our game into the homes" (L.A. TIMES, 5/18).
