the dangers of bookmakers owning tracks

There's a piece in Monday's Racing Post about how a stalwart of the greyhound industry had given up betting on the sport because of the actions of the selfish owners. Bookmakers, notably Ladbrokes (and I assume Corals as well), who own varios greyhound tracks in the UK have stopped webcasting from certain tracks and blocked the tracks from selling race replay DVDs to punters. So the only way you can see a race is if you go to the track or you're a mug in the betting shop. Bookies cut out anyone with an ambition of winning a bet by doing some homework, protect their margins and the industry goes down the tube with backward evolution.

In contrast, the Irish Greyhound Board (note, a united front for the industry nationwide) has announced that every race replay will be available on its website the day after the meeting, for free (initially). Little wonder in Ireland the industry is reasonably healthy and in the UK it is dying off.

The same could be said for privately-owned racetracks in the US where companies have no other intention than making a buck out of them now. The punter loses out, the industry loses out and the sport goes backward, while slot machines from wall-to-wall keep the company afloat. Obvious solution but you can never wind the clock back and have the industry or government retain all the tracks as Crown land..