Virginia Instant Racing

Various states are going to this 'instant' or 'historical' racing, seemingly if the state has a history of horse racing and betting, it helps those advocating it.

I'm not stuck like glue to local news, but occasionally I catch some on TV and internet, and do get a weekly local paper. But I was surprised to find [by browsing] this is reality in Virginia now, with 5 locations to open soon, some open now; one that's open is 55 minutes away from me, the closest gambling excluding the lottery.

I'm curious but won't go - I just have to assume the HE is devastating, that info not available. As I recall the edge is 20% on horse racing generally, and this could be the same. I wouldn't go there to gamble even if I knew it was somewhat better than that. Of course I would stop in if I had reason to be in the area.

Wikipedia gots the straight dope under 'historical horse racing' enacted in Virginia as only way to keep the last remaining real race track above water. Other states have had difficulties in classifying the terminals as slot machines, but Idaho's history is most revealing: the Indian gambling monopoly is the only one that sued to ban the machines. No discussion of house edge for these anonymously revived horse races, but it seems most players don't try to handicap the horses, they let the machine do that thus turning the nominally skill-based game into a de-facto slot machine.

Game Developers might enjoy the "pitched and pitched" saga until finally one executive took the bait.

this is a thing with tremendous potential if they would only realize it and take advantage of it
averaging all the different takeouts in actual horse racing would put it at about 20%

𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭
because they don't have corresponding operations - having to pay purses and for facilities and other enormous costs of actually running horses

although I do think some other slot machines do program in an edge of close to 20%

if they advertised that the takeout was only 8% and a screen popped up with past performances to give the bettors some necessary info they might be very attracted to it because of the lower takeout

they would have to change the names of the horses in the PPs so no one could actually know the results before betting
if they used low level claiming races from several years ago I doubt that anyone could actually know beforehand who was the winner - those races are so very common and insignificant

they need to make sure no horse is a recognizable superstar

D

Quote: lilredrooster

a recognizable superstar

Each bet is on three different races and there is no time to identify which ones.

Quote: FleaStiff

D Each bet is on three different races and there is no time to identify which ones.

I doubt they'll get much play from those who just want to get lucky

they can change the 3 race thing

much lower takeout - that's a hook for those who are experienced in horse race betting

if they don't use a hook like that - then what is the hook? - I dunno



I really doubt they'll do what I'm suggesting
that would be a really different kind of machine
businesses shy away from things that are very different - fearing failure

Quote: lilredrooster

for those who are experienced in horse race betting

Ain't being played by horse bettors. Its like pacman gobbling up symbols....its a slot machine disguised by lawyers as a skill based bet on a horse race.