Gambling - Pari-Mutuel Betting

By Jerry Price - Sep 1, 2005 -

Horse trainer Jeff Mullins created quite a stir recently when he said, “If you bet on horses, I would call you an idiot. I don’t bet; there’s a reason why they call it gambling.”

D. G. Van Clief, horse racing’s commissioner whose office is in Lexington, Kentucky, called the remark inexcusable, noting that “horse racing depends on the bettor for its livelihood.” The comment also generated over 150 postings on an Internet fan forum that is hosted by the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. Some fellow trainers were also upset with Mullins.

Beth Harris, Commissioner Calls Trainer’s Comments ‘Inexcusable’ (USA Today), March 9, 2005

Hoke County, North Carolina seems an unlikely place for a horse racing track with pari-mutuel gambling. The horse racing is already there—once a year. The Stoneybrook Steeplechase in April draws about 10,000 people to the small community that is mostly made up of mobile homes and crumbling tobacco barns. Nearby is a country store that boasts a dirt parking lot and bars on the windows. The median per capita income for the county is $14,000.

But a state senator wants to add gambling to the racing, similar to what happens at tracks up and down the East Coast. Those in favor of the proposal say gambling would help the failing rural economy. But many in the area aren’t buying the argument. They believe that it will just bring more types of gambling. And local churches are resisting the effort. One pastor is collecting signatures and lobbying lawmakers in an effort to defeat the proposal. David Boroughs, pastor of Ashley Heights Baptist Church, said, “Gambling appeals to that which is lowest in the human motivation: greed.”

Kristin Collins, Horse Racing in Hoke: Sin or Economic Salvation? The News and Observer (Raleigh, NC), March 21, 2005

Further Learning

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