HOW CROOKED IS OUR GAME OF KINGS?

Another curious question purely what you believe in.

Are horses prices shortened even though they are not getting backed by the public to encourage betting on these horses and are horses prices drifted in the market when they are backed by the public to discourage betting on these horses?

There are ways to lessen the incidences of cheating, by a) getting rid of bookies, b) de-emphasizing handicap and c) raising purses.

Some people find themselves cheating by pulling horses to get lower weights so they can cash a bet because prize money sucks.

But even in France, where there are no bookies and prize money is good, certain types want to set up a gamble.

Unfortunately it is part of the game.

By making bookmakers illegal you simply create a black market.There are supposedly no bookmakers in India,Pakistan and Dubai to mention but a few,but it is common knowledge that illegal Indian bookmakers trade billions of dollars on cricket,that the same can be said for Pakistani bookmakers who bet on SA racing too and that one can easily have a bet @ Nad El Sheba with an illegal bookmaker for Dubai racing.

I'd rather have legal bookmakers thanks,@ least there is some degree of transparency that way.

Betting on sports is much different than betting on races, as in sports there are only two teams playing. Pari-mutuel gambling has fueled the most successful racing in the world. I will mention Japan, Hong Kong, North America and France.

Nowhere in the history of pari-mutuel wagering has there even been a recorded incidence of a mutuel machine negatively impacting the physical condition of an animal before or a race or a jockey bought off.

Geez, I don't think a mutuel machine ever even kidnapped the daughter of a deadbeat gambler that failed to settle his debts!