Video Poker 247
- Horse Racing vs. Video Poker
Those that enjoy going to the races at Portland Meadows may soon have
to find somewhere else to go to appreciate the ponies. The track is
celebrating its 61st season this Sunday but Magna Entertainment Corp.
has announced that they will be selling its stake in the track, so
what will happen next is anyone’s guess.
Magna says that it cannot afford to run the track without the addition
of video poker games, that the amount they get from betting is simply
just not enough to keep them going. They say that Oregon’s gamblers
are playing slot machines and video poker games, and just are not
coming to the track any more.
The company stopped dog racing at another one of its tracks three
years ago, and many thought it was just a matter of time before the
company halted their horse racing as well. With the tribes offering
video slots, etc. and bingo and card tables being around, the horse
tracks simply cannot compete.
The state lottery alone is bringing in $865 million from their video
poker and slot machines, taking even more money from the tracks than
before. In comparison, the track brought in a paltry $53 million last
year. Magna tried to get machines brought in, but the state rejected
the idea. With this latest blow, there is no reason for the company to
continue fighting – especially since no one is fighting for them.
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October 2007 Archive
