Down at the Track - What Policy, Marketing, & Technology Offer The Sport of Kings

Horse and dog racetracks across the U.S. are experiencing declining attendance and betting handle. This article summarizes an investigation into possible causes and remedies for these trends. Three topics emerged: policy, marketing, and technology. First, industry and political leaders must cooperate in identifying and addressing central political-legal issues. Racing's second focus must be marketing management, especially the changing competitive marketplace and specific marketing mix elements. A third concentration for racing industries is the intelligent application of technologies for such strategic purposes as expanding both the track product mix and its distribution.