Archive for June 9th, 2007
Chuck Schumer Knows What’s Best For You
I don’t know if you’ve ever been to an OTB. They are, really, the most depressing places in the world. I normally go to OTB three or four times a year. Usually, it’s to bet on the Triple Crown Races or some random day when I look at the Saratoga program and see something I like. Anyone that’s been to an OTB can tell you pretty much what it is. They really are indescribably depressing.
Your standard guy at OTB is over 40. He wears a jacket despite the temperature outside. Since you can’t smoke in OTB anymore, most of these guys have unlit cigarettes or cigars… and thank GOD my state has passed legislation to help keep these guys alive longer. Normally, they are surrounded by piles of programs and dead tickets. If you take more than four seconds to place your bet (Track, Race, Amount, Bet Type, Horse Number - ie: 4th at Saratoga, $5 Exacta Box on 2,3) they will grumble and call you the old guy version of NOOB. This is usually “rookie” or “amateur.” Normally, I take as little time as possible in OTB and clear out of there before someone realizes I don’t belong and decides to sacrifice me to some dark equine god.
Anyway, the New York Racing Association (NYRA) has been under fire the last few years for various legal infractions. Shocking, I know, since you would normally think a government-backed division of bookies would be nothing if not honorable. As such, they’ve gone into bankruptcy and have been trying various things to get out of it. The newest idea is to put OTB terminals in normal bars. This, according to NYRA, will encourage younger people (ie: distinctly NOT the people outlined above) and women to bet on horses. Schumer, without the standard “think of the children” reference that politicians love so much, instead had to liken college students to children.
Said Chuck: OTB marketing to the young in a bar setting is just the same as tobacco companies using mascots to sell cigarettes to children,
So remember, folks… A 21-year-old in a bar is STILL not old enough to make their own decisions on whether or not they want to gamble.
No word on whether or not Chuck will push to get Quick Draw terminals taken out of bars which, you know, run a lottery game ever four minutes.
Now, please head back to Washington and continue to make it illegal for me to put money on a football game, but make sure it’s OK for New York to run 20 different types of Lottery games.