Do Low Minimum Wagers Lead To Degenerate Gambling?

This ought to be a hit amongst the action junkies, Churchill is going to lower the minimum wager on pick threes and trifectas to fifty cent starting today. With handle taking a slide across the board tracks have to angle for every edge to make sure they hold their share of the shrinking parimutuel pie. Takeout on these wagers is 19%.

The good news is that this gives horseplayers more options at the low end, the bad news is that another avenue of low minimum degenerate gambling has been widened. Are these low minimum exotic wagers bad for "OTB type" action junkies? Would some people be better off if they focused on win, place and show? If punters can not afford the $1 pick 3 should they even play the pick 3? Is the industry casually introducing degeneracy to racing fans by instituting all of these low minimum wagers? Do I need to arm myself next time I go to the track to fend off all of the seedy fifty cent and dime players?




















Flushing OTB patron and sometimes Churchill Downs fan Dat Wi Nguyen was "very happy" when he learned about the $.50 pick 3

Churchill Over/Under Bet

Churchill has a new over/under bet. The wager is whether the sum of the program numbers of the first three finishers will be over or under a certain number.

Judging by the charts the bet is off to a horrendous start. The total pool for Monday's first race was $222. Perhaps Churchill was trying to appeal to the crowd that does not like racing. Maybe the first timers who want to bet something really easy and simple. The same people that like to sit at slots like zombies, pushing buttons till their bankroll is tapped. Appealing to this crowd is very difficult at a racetrack and multiple attempts by different tracks have led to failure after failure.

Handicappers like action and with a slew of big paying exotic bets on every race, the over/under has little appeal. If this bet was a dirty magazine it would be the J.C. Penney womens underwear catalog, not much appeal there for the hardcore player.