by the Thoroughbred Idea Foundation
Betting pools at one U.S. track were manipulated at least three times in April 2021.
The manipulation can be easy to miss. Pools that get manipulated are likely small to begin with, which means they happen on smaller circuits and the manipulation typically occurs in the last odds update. When it does happen, the result is usually positive for most winning bettors.
So what's the problem?
The manipulation of racing's pari-mutuel pools is often done to exact a far greater profit through the grey or illicit betting markets. Threats to the integrity of racing are incredibly diverse and the presence of grey market betting operators – or GMOs – is growing. The tote pool manipulation can be complemented with race-fixing or doping which compromise race outcomes.
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