horse racing economic indicators

Despite a racing calendar ravaged by the coronavirus, all-sources handle on U.S. racing in 2020 declined by just .98%. According to Equibase, total handle on the year was $10,925,226,444 or $108,597,919 less than what it was in 2019. Had the Triple Crown races not been rescheduled, it's possible that handle might have risen on the year. The total handle for the three race days combined dropped by $208 million, or more than what handle was off for the entire year. "The horse racing community is extremely resilient as borne out...

Despite the rise in the COVID-19 infection rate in many states around the country, wagering on U.S. races managed to remain relatively stable, with only a slight dip from 2019 figures. A total of $895,325,220 was wagered last month, down 6.33% from November of 2019. Year-to-date figures decreased only 1.48% from $10,326,096,182 bet in 2019. Both figures include worldwide commingled wagering on U.S. races. In November, average wagering per race day jumped by 35.49% up to $3,996,998, while the year-to-date figure showed a similar pattern, rising by 33.78% to $3,310,512....

According to Equibase figures, total wagering on U.S. races in September was $1,039,737,336, a 29.64% increase over 2019 numbers. The handle for the GI Kentucky Derby day card at Churchill Downs fell dramatically this year. A total of $128.3 million was bet on the 14 races. In 2019, $250.9 million was wagered on the card. Nonetheless, the $128.3 million was the most bet on any racing program this year and was a major factor in the overall increase for September. With the increase in numbers during September, total handle for...

The total amount wagered on U.S. races in July saw a 16.63% increase over 2019 figures, the best month the sport has had this year and a sign that the effects of the coronavirus are no longer negatively impacting handle. The July handle of $1,098,728 was the first $1 billion-plus monthly handle on the year. Prior to the release of the figures, there had already been signs that July was going to be a good month. The handle for GI Haskell S. day at Monmouth was over $20 million, the...

According to figures released Monday by Equibase, handle on U.S. racing dipped slightly in 2019, down 2% from 2018 numbers. The decline reversed a 4-year trend in which handle had risen every year from 2015 through 2018. When factoring in a decrease in number of races run, from 36,586 to 36,207, handle also declined, but by just 1%. A total of $11.04 billion was wagered in 2019. "I think it is extremely worrisome," said Marshall Gramm, the Professor and Chair of the Department of Economics at Rhodes College and a...