Total wagering at New York state's horse-racing tracks and off-track betting parlors decreased last year.
That's according to the state Racing and Wagering Board.
The agency's annual report shows that the amount wagered in 2003 fell from two-point-eight (b) billion dollars to two-point-seven (b) billion.
But the amount bet on out-of-state races that were simulcast in New York state went up last year.
Experts attribute the drop in on-track and O-T-B wagering on several factors, including increased competition from such sources as the Seneca Indian casino that opened in Niagara Falls on New Year's Eve 2002.
The total handle at the three thoroughbred tracks run by the New York Racing Association -- Aqueduct, Belmont and Saratoga -- declined in 2003, although Saratoga's handle increased.
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That's according to the state Racing and Wagering Board.
The agency's annual report shows that the amount wagered in 2003 fell from two-point-eight (b) billion dollars to two-point-seven (b) billion.
But the amount bet on out-of-state races that were simulcast in New York state went up last year.
Experts attribute the drop in on-track and O-T-B wagering on several factors, including increased competition from such sources as the Seneca Indian casino that opened in Niagara Falls on New Year's Eve 2002.
The total handle at the three thoroughbred tracks run by the New York Racing Association -- Aqueduct, Belmont and Saratoga -- declined in 2003, although Saratoga's handle increased.
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