
North Dakota’s plans to expand gambling by creating up to six state-owned casinos have been grabbing the headlines into the regional news, as a result of the probable impact on tribal and charitable gaming operators.
‘Instant racing’ uses principles of parimutuel gambling, but has faced appropriate challenges in the handful of states where it’s been introduced as being, in reality, a slot machine that is glorified.
Nevertheless now an under-the-radar bill, spotted by regional radio host Mike McFeeley this week, poses an additional risk to the 300-odd charitable gambling areas in bars and clubs over the state.
Senate Bill 2221 would authorize ‘historic racing’ or ‘instant racing’ machines at as much as ten locations in the Peace Garden State. These machines allow gamblers to put bets on races that have already been run.
Video clip of races from around the global world are stored, and a race is played at random as soon as bets have actually been put. The names regarding the horses and times and areas of the races, are, of course, hidden through the bettor.
Slot or Not?
Fundamentally, the machines are designed to simulate a day at the races for the happy-go-lucky bettor, but there is additionally another, less obvious reason behind their presence. Because these races are classed as parimutuel betting, with multiple players adding to a pool, they are not defined as ‘slots,’ o [Read more...]