ABC’s of Online Horse Racing: Watch – Wager – Win

By Mike Exinger

Back in the day – say, the 1930s – if you wanted to gamble, the only legal action was the local horse track. Sure, Nevada had casinos, but nowhere else. There were no lotteries, no riverboats, no Internet. Horse racing was not just the only legal gambling option, but it was also one of America’s most popular sporting events. Only baseball could rival horse racing for fan appeal and newspaper headlines. It was a time of Seabiscuit, War Admiral, and Whirlaway.
Flash forward to today. Some form of gambling is available in almost every state. There are casinos damn near everywhere, on land, on water, on reservations. Mega-jackpot state lotteries flourish. Daily Fantasy Sports are the latest “next big thing” online, and, of course, we’ve gone through a boom-and-bust-and-reborn cycle with online poker.

And racing? Long proclaimed dead more than once, horse racing, specifically Thoroughbred racing, is alive and well. Who doesn’t know about American Pharoah, the first Triple Crown AND Breeder’s Cup winner ever? There are new tracks popping up across the country, and horse racing is as strong as ever overseas, as England, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Hong Kong have strong racing programs.

And, thanks to the Internet, you can wager on ALL OF IT.

The ABC’s of Online Horse Racing looks at the various online websites that provide you with a box seat on the action. Every aspect of setting up an account and learning the betting pad are covered, and later chapters teach you how to handicap like the professionals.

Geared to gamblers who have never considered betting the ponies, The ABC’s of Online Horse Racing is a beginner’s guide to online horse racing, teaching you how and where to watch, wager, and win in the 21st Century version of this great sport.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mike Exinger
• Release date: Feb 15, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310612497

Mike Exinger

Mike Exinger calls himself a 21st Century Renaissance man...just another way of saying he’s had a lot of jobs and has moved a lot. Born in Michigan during the Truman administration, he started out as a teen serving ice cream and ended his work-life likewise (although by then he owned the place). In between he's been a Banker, Radio DJ, University Professor, and Jewelry Artist and had 15 different addresses in several states and towns. In his spare time (?) he’s been a Freelance Writer for more than 30 years. Like Maynard G. Krebs, work is now a four-letter work and he lives the retired life with his wife and an enlarged prostate in Warren, OR.Writing credits include the five books/eBooks you see here, plus 100+ articles in publications such as Casino, Casino Executive, Dalton’s Blackjack Review, Double Down, Thoroughbred Times, American Turf Monthly, HorsePlayer and Card Player. He also publishes occasional brain-droppings at his blog, mexinger.blogspot.com

Book preview

The ABC’s of Online Horse Racing

(Watch, Wager, Win)

By Mike Exinger

Copyright 2016 Mike Exinger

Version 02.15.16.d (23,078 words)

License Notes

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to where you bought it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table of Contents

Preface

Chapter 1 – Introduction

Chapter 2 – A Bit of History

Chapter 3 – Internet Horseracing Sites

Chapter 4 – Choosing a Site

Chapter 5 – Betting and the Pari-Mutuel System

Chapter 6 – Handicapping Basics and Resources

Chapter 7 – How to Read Past Performances

Chapter 8 – More Handicapping Strategies

Fun Stuff at the End

Preface

CAUTION: The book you are about to enjoy comes with two disclaimers and three caveats:

DISCLAIMER 1: This book guarantees NOTHING. It offers you an opportunity to learn how to play the ponies using online services. The handicapping methods shown are ones I have found to be successful. It does not mean that you will find the same success. Stuff happens. Gambling in many forms is legal in many jurisdictions, but it is just that...a GAMBLE. Proceed with caution. If you do find that this book gives you a leg-up on other players, hooray, and go tell someone else to buy the book!

DISCLAIMER 2: Betting on horses online is legal in MOST of the United States. Whether it’s legal or not depends on (a) what state you live in and (b) what online site you choose to use. You must be 18 (19 or 21 in some states) in order to bet legally. Yes, they’ll check you out (Social Security numbers, addresses, legal bank or charge accounts) before letting you deposit. Check with the site’s FAQ page or other information provided to ensure you’re legal to play. If you live in Utah, no matter what, you’re not. Sorry.

And now, the caveats:

This book is intended for beginning horse racing players who are looking to get into the action, but are not close to a race track or off-site betting parlor. However, they ARE close to a computer, and nowadays, that’s all you need.

This book is neither long nor involved. It is meant as a primer for players who have a familiarity with horse racing, but have yet to dip a toe at any online site. It is NOT deep into math or complicated play. There are plenty of other books like that. This isn’t one of them.

Finally, the book is designed to be simple to read and intended for those who don’t know how to play, or think they do, yet somehow they haven’t signed up for a site, or if they have, are completely lost. I will help you out – horse race betting is a skill game, one where you can use your head, and at the same time, not lose your shirt.

Enjoy.

BACK to Table of Contents

Chapter 1 – Introduction

This book is about something very old that, because of technology, seems very new again. Back in the old days (the 1970s), gambling was not as ubiquitous in America as it is now. A few states had lotteries, Nevada has casinos, but for the rest of the nation, the only (legal) way to place a wager was at a local race track. Thoroughbreds, quarter horses, and harness tracks flourished (as did greyhound racing) partly because it was an exciting sport and because it was literally the only game in town.

Flash forward to today. Some form of gambling is available in almost every state. There are casinos damn near everywhere, on land, on water, on reservations. Mega-jackpot state lotteries flourish. Daily Fantasy Sports are the latest next big thing online, and, of course, we’ve gone through a boom-and-bust-and-reborn cycle with online poker.

And racing? Long proclaimed dead more than once, horse racing, specifically Thoroughbred racing, is alive and well. Who doesn’t know about American Pharoah, the first Triple Crown AND Breeder’s Cup winner ever? There are new tracks popping up across the country. Of course, racing is as strong as ever overseas, as England, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Hong Kong have strong racing programs.

And, because of that new technology I briefly mentioned above, you can wager on ALL OF IT.

The technology that saved horse racing is, of course, simulcasting. The idea of allowing off-site wagering into a combined betting pool grew both the pools and the tracks’ take, allowing purses to grow, interest to grow, etc.

And expanding simulcasting to the Internet was pure gold.

Technically, every computer and smart phone is a potential OTB. If you want to watch and bet the ponies, all you have to do is click. It’s as easy as buying something on Amazon, and just as safe. And legal.

Now, some of you might be wondering how some forms of gambling online are AOK, while others (like poker and slots) are not. Truth is, not every state allows horse racing wagering online, and some restrict wagering to select tracks (some instate only, some outstate only). Most states allow for some wagering; only a few disallow all horse race betting – it is complex partly because different sites have different agreements with the tracks (and the laws change from time to time). The link here is for one site’s current state restrictions, but, as we’ll discuss, you should always check the site you plan to play for their own restrictions.

Here’s a bit more on horse racing’s legality versus everything else: In 2006 Congress passed a law called UIGEA (some would say snuck in at the last minute). The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act was designed to put the kibosh on online poker (sites like PokerStars and FullTilt). It didn’t kick in until 2009, and wasn’t enforced until 2011. Suddenly online poker in America was defunct, but online gambling was not, as online horse racing and fantasy sports were specifically exempted from the law (well, sort of – in late 2015, DFS sites like DraftKings and FanDuel were been found to be gambling that goes against some states’ interpretation of same, and frankly that whole situation is up in the air). Three states have reintroduced in-state online poker (with more to come, for sure), and in-state lotteries are growing, but the fact remains: the ONLY type of online gambling accessible – and legal – to most players in the USA is horse racing.

So, here we are.

Today there are several websites, known as ADW sites (Advance Deposit Wagering) that offer the opportunity to wager on horses from US tracks and

Reviews for ABC’s of Online Horse Racing

[Leonardo Guerrero · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A great piece of reading for those who start to get along with internet betting and some insights about the hard science of hitting winners at the races.