Can Horse Racing Decline Lead to Idaho Sports Betting?

Horse racing interest in the Gem State appears to be on the gradual decline. Is it possible this trend could lead to actual interest in the legalization of Idaho sports betting?

The question is enough to incite eye rolls and scoffs. After all, sports betting in Idaho has failed to register even as a half-baked priority among state officials. The reason for this apathetic view of wagering isn’t particularly clear. From what we can surmise, it’s a combination of the state housing zero pro sports teams and offering alternatives such as Class 2, bingo-style games at casinos, a lottery and, of course, the chance to participate in online horse racing betting.

Yet, in recent years, it seems like the latter is no longer nearly as popular. Track closures and dips in revenue are peppered throughout the course of time. Views of horse racing have also shifted a great deal over the past decade or so. As people become more in tune with the treatment of animals, horse racing is seen as unnecessarily cruel by a great deal of people.

What’s the reason for this decline in horse racing? Are we sure the industry is even declining inside the Gem State? Could it instead be overstated? And even if its reversion is real, can it have any impact on how Idaho sports betting is viewed among policymakers? Let’s explore.

Evidence Mounts that Idaho Horse Racing is No Longer a High-Value Market

It does not seem as if the decline of Idaho horse racing is being exaggerated in any way. Not only have tracks experienced dips and troughs and shutdowns, but attempts to expand the market aren’t going well. As the folks over at Sports Insider wrote about this very issue in 2018:

“There have been some very incremental additions to the Idaho gambling menu in the past few years. In 2011, simulcast horse betting became legal for off track facilities to offer. This hasn’t exactly been a huge hit and only eight OTB licenses have been issued to date. The state’s largest horse racing facility—Les Bois Park—closed down in 2016 and the Idaho State Racing Commission lists only 27 total live race dates for 2018 after offering just 24 in 2017. Betting on ‘historical horse races’ became legal in 2018.”

Failing to gain a foothold with simulcast horse racing should technically sting. That was seen as a new-wave form of Idaho sports betting. However, the decline of live-track interest is more notable. And the most recent data doesn’t do Idaho horse racing any favors.

According to the Idaho Horse Racing website, there are only 18 dates on the 2024 calendar. That’s a 33 percent decrease from roughly a half-decade ago.

This tracks with the state of the Idaho Horse Racing Commission. Reports of funding issues have cropped up for the better part of a decade—as far back as at least 2016. And some of the most recent revenue reports aren’t exactly encouraging. Per isp.Idaho.gov, horse racing generated $170.89 in revenue for public schools during the 2021 fiscal year. It isn’t clear what percentage of the tota Idaho horse racing revenue that represents. But even if it's 0.5 percent, this dollar amount is staggeringly low.

Could Lackluster Gaming Revenue Streams Pave the Way for Idaho Sports Betting Discussions?

Answering this question in the affirmative becomes even more tempting when you look at the Gem State’s other “alternatives” to Idaho sports betting.

Casinos in the state are limited to offering slot machines, bingo-type games and off-track betting. The Idaho State Lottery offers only a handful of options. They also partake in multistate games like Mega Millions and Powerball. But the upside on those is limited because they’re national rather than regional offerings.

Framed this way, it feels like there should be a greater demand among officials for Idaho sports betting. And the absence of a pro sports team inside the market doesn’t seem to be a good enough reason for preserving the status quo. Not only does the Gem State have a premier college football program (Boise State), but the rise of online sportsbooks in the United States has made out-of-market events accessible to everyone no matter where they are.

If This is All True, Why Has Idaho Resisted Legal Gambling Expansion for So Long?

Perhaps the relative disinterest in Idaho sports betting speaks to concerns about the potential downsides. That’s fair. Upticks in problem gambling are always reported in areas that legalize sports betting. Especially online sports wagering. Idaho officials have in the past also claimed they don’t need any additional revenue streams. Their state budget has, apparently, finished inside the green most years.

Tack on a voter basis that skews conservative, and the circumstances in the Gem State aren’t currently conducive to a mega push for Idaho sports betting. Along with Utah, and perhaps Alaska, Idaho is considered the state most likely to never green light wagering.

Still, while we’d be remiss to think Idaho sports betting gets legalized in the near future, we can’t write it off entirely. The state actually has a colorful gambling history, dating back over a century. And if live horse racing is devolving into a non-factor, it stands to reason that, at some point, Idaho will at least explore the legalization of sports betting.

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