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It did happen with poker and in fact it continues to happen with poker.  There have been several moments in American history where an upcoming generation finds a new fascination with the game.  The last resurgence for poker came when the industry found a way to make poker a spectator sport with a camera that can show the hands that players have.  They allowed telvised audiences to feel the suspense that you used to only get while playing the game.  The Internet also contributed to the poker revival.  However I really do not see that happening with horse racing.

It would take some serious stroke of genius to find a way of making horse racing exciting again.  Horse racing may never fade away completely.  There is something uniquely American about the sport and it makes for a great outing once and a while, but only as a novelty.  With new advancements in slot machines and gambling technology, not even the desperate gamblers are turning to the tracks anymore.

For years racetracks in New Jersey have been propped up by the state.  The sad part is that even with state funds these tracks could not keep their books in the black.  Then suddenly New Jersey saw their casino industry struggling in Atlantic City due to the recession and stiff competition from slot machines in Pennsylvania.  Eventually, in order to save the far more valuable casino industry, the state decided to sell the the tracks so that they can focus on making Atlantic City profitable again.  And just like that the horse farming industry was left out in the cold to fend for themselves.

It may be a wise move for the rural businessmen to stop depending so much on the racetracks because I have a sneaking suspicion that some of the racetracks are only looking out for number one when it comes to pleading for slot machines.  In some states the racetracks and the casinos built next to them are separate entities, but that is not always the case.  I have to assume that the racetracks that are the official operators of the slot machines must realize they are looking down the barrel of a gun and that racetracks are in their last days.  I have a sneaking suspicion that many of these venues are trying to convert their businesses into casinos so that they have a place in a new industry when horse racing has seen its final days.

The other problem is that even when the state is not in a recession, the rural areas of the state are typically poorer than the rest.  That is part of the reason why racing tracks can hold so much sway over legislatures.  As an industry that keeps a lot of people in poor rural areas working they can convince state lawmakers that it is probably best to bring slot machines to the tracks.  Not that the tracks make more money off of racing due to the presence of slot machines, but the fact that slot machines allow racing to continue on.

The other problem is that even when the state is not in a recession, the rural areas of the state are typically poorer than the rest.  That is part of the reason why racing tracks can hold so much sway over legislatures.  As an industry that keeps a lot of people in poor rural areas working they can convince state lawmakers that it is probably best to bring slot machines to the tracks.  Not that the tracks make more money off of racing due to the presence of slot machines, but the fact that slot machines allow racing to continue on.

One of the main reasons racetracks have been able to convince state that they need to preserve racing is because they employ a lot of people in rural areas. But, this is just putting a band aid over the problem.  I do not know that these rural horse farmers are looking toward the future.  Unless we have some sort of Apocalypse where people are travelling by horse back again, there will not be a resurgence of interest in live horse racing events.  Slot machines are better suited for casinos; an industry that is still thriving and has room for growth.

This focus is probably the reason why so many candidates during the 2010 election season was in full support of introducing slot machines to the Twin Cities area.  Slot machines will not fix the massive $6 billion budget gap but it would provide a lot of revenue to save some important government programs.  Slot machines could provide the funds needed to help out state schools as well as very important rural programs.  The rural areas of Minnesota, no big surprise, were the hardest hit by the recession.

The Viking may be the answer to the confusion.  For some time now the state has been trying to build a brand new home for the professional football team.  The venue where the team plays now is dated and needs desperately to be replaced.  The state fears that if they do not provide a new venue for the team that they will move to a different town.  That is that absolute last thing that Minnesota needs.  A professional sports franchise can bring a lot of revenue to a state or city.  Cleveland took a huge financial blow when LeBron James decided it was time to move on.

New York, however, is not so lucky.  New York has finally found an operator for what is arguably the most important gambling venue in the state.  Genting will operate a slots parlor right next to the Aqueduct in Queens, New York.  This will make the venue, when it is complete some time in 2012, the only casino in New York City.  The venue is expected to make more money each year than all of the other gambling venues in New York State.  The problem is that just as this happened an Indian tribe was finally recognized by the federal government in Long Island.  The tribe has already expressed a desire to open a venue only a few miles down the road from the Aqueduct venue.  There is very little that the state can do to stop the tribe, all they can do is except that they will shortly have very stiff competition.

The problem with creating new casinos is that it would cause the state a lot of money as a result of the job shifts from the rural areas of the state to the metropolitan areas.  If gambling was expanded in the Twin Cities, thousands of jobs would be downsized in the tribal casinos.  The state would lose out on several thousands of dollars each year that they once earned from the tribes.  That state would also have to shell out a few dollars for new infrastructure.  The Greater Minnesota area would be devastated by the loss of business and it would impact the state in the form of unemployment aid, demand for local aid, subsidized health care, and job retraining services.