Saturday, June 14, 2008

Whither OTB?

Off Track Betting was created in 1971 so that New Yorkers who had trouble getting out to the racetracks could watch the horse races and place bets in their own neighborhoods. It was created by the city as a way of generating revenue, for more than 30 years, it actually made the city money.

Now it's losing money and Mayor Bloomberg has declared that the city will not subsidize a bookie operation. Governor Patterson offered a resolution whereby the state would take over OTB but, last night, Bloomberg made certain revenue demands that made it fall apart.

So it looks like another NYC institution is vanishing. I've never gone to OTB in my life and have only been to the track one time, last week. But it's sad to see something that served middle class New York go away. At the same time, I actually agree with Bloomberg in this case: it doesn't help the middle class when their hard earned tax dollars go to subsidize gambling.

That said, I would fully support creating off shore or casino gambling operations in this town, so long as they made the city money.

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