New York’s financially troubled OTB's

[Sweetleaf22]

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Several Off Track Betting firms are calling for the Legislature to take immediate action on a state comptroller’s audit.

The study urges legislators to remedy a variety of factors affecting New York’s financially troubled off-track betting system, from inflated payments to harness tracks to unfair competition from out-of-state account deposit wagering companies such as Youbet and HRTV.

State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s audit said handle at the five OTB firms, outside of New York City, declined $103 million or roughly 10 percent from 2004 to 2009.

The presidents of Capital, Catskill, Suffolk and Western OTBs, in a joint statement, said, “Extensive cost-cutting by OTBs can yield only so much benefit. Without a dramatic overhaul of the current distribution formulas by the state Legislature, the financial viability of these OTBs — as well as their ability to support local government — may be in jeopardy.”

The audit, and a January 2010 report by the state Task Force on the Future of Off Track Betting, also called for closer cooperation between the OTBs, urging them to consolidate services such as marketing, tote contract, television system and account wagering platforms. In addition, DiNapoli said all OTBs should try to expand Internet wagering, which has the most growth potential.

“Three regions — Capital, Nassau and Suffolk — already offer online wagering to their customers. Catskill and Western will offer such services in the near future and all five regions are exploring a group Internet wagering platform,” Suffolk OTB President Jeffrey A. Casale said. Catskill OTB President Don Groth said he expects the state Racing and Wagering Board to approve Internet wagering for his firm at its June meeting...............................>>

By PAUL POST, The Saratogian

http://www.saratogian.com/articles/2...6867862299.txt

[wire2wire]

I am a CATSKILL OTB patron and feel they are the worst run operation I have ever seen.If they started treating their patrons as people instead of grumbling when you are making a wager maybe their handle would increase.I think they should pay their cashiers by the number of people they serve.If that were the case maybe they would not be taking so many breaks.w2w