I Remember Extreme Exclusivity

When I became a fan the only slot machines were Las Vegas. There was no simulcasting, no OTB, no telephone wagering on cell phones or otherwise and no internet. If you wanted to place a bet off track you had to know a bookie and I didn’t know any bookies. If I wanted to bet on a race I got in the car and my dad drove us to Aqueduct, Belmont or Monmouth Park. Between November when Aqueduct closed (there was no inner track in those days) and mid-March when it reopened; I never bet on a race, I did not know it at the time but I was experiencing what you might call extreme exclusivity; one track, one race at a time and twenty five minutes to think about the next race. I did not feel deprived.

Nowadays here in PA I have so many opportunities to place a bet my head spins. On any given Saturday, I can bet on literally hundreds of races. I can bet off-track at a Turf Club, on my phone and/or the internet. I usually bet on the internet but if Phonebet’s servers go down I experience AB Server Unavailable Anxiety Syndrome (ABSUAS) My blood pressure rises and small anger rises in me when I can’t get a wager in with the click of a mouse in less than two seconds, so I click again, no response. I feel deprived. I go to Plan B. I get up walk all the way across the family room pick up the phone and press speed dial #1 ( yes Phonebet is #1 on my speed dial, are you surprised?) Ah, relief as I hear Wel