Through 11 months of calendar year 2017, total monies bet in Virginia on horse racing continue to spike courtesy of gains from four on line wagering partner (ADW) companies and three Off Track Betting (OTB) Centers that are up and running.
Total handle through November was $93,980,969. The four advance deposit wagering companies — TVG, XPressBet, TwinSpires and NYRABets — accounted for $75 million of that figure while the in-state OTBs operated by the Virginia Equine Alliance (VEA) chipped in with over $18 million. On-track handle from the Shenandoah Downs (harness) and Virginia Gold Cup (steeplechase) pari-mutuel meets round out the figures.
November saw three of the four ADWs tally their biggest monthly handle since August. TVG led the way in November with $2,785,934 while TwinSpires came in second with $2,386,815. XpressBet was next with $1,065,765 and NYRABets, available to Virginia horseplayers for the first time ever this year, processed $115,055 in wagers. Thoroughbred racing’s Breeder’s Cup Championships, held at Del Mar the first weekend in November, helped boost interest in the sport early in the month.
For the year, TVG is up 7.3% over 2016 figures with $34,839,688 in Virginia handle versus $32,446,882 last year. TwinSpires is up 2.95% while XpressBet is off just over 5.5%. Overall, $75,536,785 has been wagered for the 11 months via the four services, a 5.73% increase over the same time period last year.
The two Richmond area OTBs continue to perform well. Breakers Sports Grille, located in the west end, has handled $10,170,146 in 2017 while Ponies & Pints, located downtown in the Shockoe Bottom neighborhood, has handled $7,641,933. The newest OTB, in Chesapeake at Buckets Bar & Grill, opened mid-month and processed $327,179 in bets. This past Saturday (December 16th), that site alone handled over $60,000. A fourth OTB is scheduled to open in Collinsville, located in Henry County just outside of Martinsville, early in 2018.
