The Long Term Problem Of The Racing Industry

Over the years several arguments have been posed to explain the decline in racing and
how to revive the industry. Some called for the removal of the track from its current
location, others have called for the privatization of Caymanas Park Limited.

However as can be seen from the tables below, the problem facing the racing industry has
nothing to do with the race program of Caymanas Track Limited.

Number of
Races and
Starters

Calendar Race Races Starters Average Average

Year Days per per
Day Race
1977 83 846 8752 105.4 10.3
1978 83 827 9260 111.5 11.2
1979 91 886 9341 103.6 10.5
1980 89 835 9122 102.4 10.9
1987 81 776 8975 110.8 11.6
1988 70 641 6779 96.8 10.6
1989 87 809 8271 95.1 10.2
1990 65 643 6330 97.4 9.8
1997 89 925 8860 101.9 9.6
1998 83 876 8460 99.5 9.6
1999 90 942 9744 108.2 10.3
2000 93 998 10051 108.1 10.1
2007 80 841 7519 93.98 8.9
2008 82 865 8166 99.58 9.4
Source: The Jamaica Racing Commission

As can be seen there is no significant difference in the offering of Caymanas Track

Limited in the late 1970s as compared with the offering in recent years.

Equally it could not be said, that the decline in the fortunes of racing has any direct
relationship with the distribution of purse money. As can be seen from the table and the
graph below, owners and breeders have been doing relatively well given the state of the
industry.

1
Calendar
Year Purse Paid
Out To Amount Paid
Total Purse In Owners In US To Breeders In
Us$ $ US $
1977 2907863 2861313 46549.45
1978 2133610 2066947 66688.65
1979 2282832 2212220 70611.93
1980 2783781 2653228 130553.4
1987 1643634 1524491 119143
1988 1368816 1332657 36159.17
1989 1993309 1838697 154611.9
1990 1852978 1709249 143729.6
1997 4965356 4520770 444586
1998 5509692 5017387 492305.6
1999 5718489 5172433 546056.1
2000 5747346 5236411 510935.5
2007 5402580 4919109 483470.2
2008
5873082 5347988 525094.8
Source:-The Jamaica Racing Commission

% Change in Purses Paid out, year

1977=100

1400
1200
Percentage Change

1000 % Change in
Total
800
Purse1977=100
600
% Change in
400
Puse Paid To
200 Owners
1977=100
0
% Change in
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 Amount Paid
Period,1977- to-2008 To Breeders
1977=100

Calendar
Year Total Purse In Purse Paid to Owners in Amount Paid To Breeders in

2
 J$ J$ J$
1977 $2,646,155.33 $2,603,794.83 $42,360.00
1978 $3,008,390.10 $2,914,395.27 $94,031.00
1979 $4,017,784.32 $3,893,507.20 $124,277.00
1980 $4,955,130.18 $4,722,745.84 $232,385.05
1987 $9,056,423.34 $8,399,945.41 $656,477.93
1988 $7,542,176.16 $7,342,940.07 $199,237.03
1989 $11,501,392.93 $10,609,281.69 $892,110.66
1990 $13,415,560.72 $12,374,962.76 $1,040,602.30
1997 $176,319,791.56 $160,532,542.70 $15,787,248.86
1998 $201,930,211.80 $183,887,233.55 $18,043,000.24
1999 $224,164,768.80 $202,759,373.60 $21,405,399.12
2000 $247,595,665.68 $225,584,585.88 $22,011,101.34
2007 $373,102,174.80 $339,713,667.54 $33,388,452.01
2008 $428,265,139.44 $389,975,284.96 $38,289,912.82

Calenda
r Year % change in total % increase in purse paid to % change in amount paid to
purse 1977=100% Breeders 1977=100%) Breeders, 1977=100
1977 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%
1978 1368.91% 1192.88% 12198.06%
1979 5183.48% 4953.20% 19338.29%
1980 8725.77% 8137.93% 44859.55%
1987 24224.84% 22260.40% 144975.91%
1988 18502.39% 18200.92% 37034.24%
1989 33464.54% 30745.46% 200602.14%
1990 40698.31% 37526.64% 235656.83%
1997 656324.42% 606533.00% 3716923.76%
1998 753107.93% 696227.82% 4249442.98%
1999 837133.83% 768707.18% 5043210.43%
2000 925680.77% 856368.51% 5186199.62%
2007 1399978.36% 1294686.77% 7872070.92%
2008 1608442.93% 1487718.95% 9029167.44%

3
 Percentage increase in purses, 1977=100

10000000.00%

9000000.00%
8000000.00%
% change in total
7000000.00% purse 1977=100%
6000000.00%
percentage

% increase in purse
5000000.00% paid to Breeders
1977=100%)
4000000.00%
% change in amount
3000000.00% paid to Breeders,
1977=100
2000000.00%

1000000.00%
0.00%
1 3 5 7 9 11 13
period

If the problem is not caused by a failure to pay out a competitive purse and it did not
come about as a result of radical changes in the offering of Caymanas Track Ltd. how
then the decline in the fortunes of racing come about? There are two aspects to this
problem –(1) Over the years there has been a reduction in both the number of betting
shops in operation coupled with a decline in the number of betting companies; secondly
there has been a decline in total betting sales. See table below:-

4
 Calendar Year
Promoter'
s Total in Promoter's Book Maker's Total Betting in
J$ Total in J$ Total in J$ J$
1977 $25,710.00 $25,710.00 $43,150.00 $68,860.00
1978 $26,918.00 $26,918.00 $61,397.00 $88,315.00
1979 $25,090.00 $25,090.00 $25,090.00 $89,959.00
1980 $23,341.99 $23,341.99 $23,341.99 $87,555.00
1987 $61,704.01 $61,704.01 $61,704.01 $200,873.00
1988 $48,876.00 $48,876.00 $48,876.00 $172,024.02
1989 $80,197.00 $80,197.00 $80,197.00 $281,292.98
1990 $91,739.99 $91,739.99 $91,739.99 $251,553.00
1997 $1,323,368.93 $1,323,368.93 $1,323,368.93 $2,130,133.04
1998 $1,302,265.03 $1,302,265.03 $1,302,265.03 $2,151,817.16
1999 $1,593,545.86 $1,593,545.86 $1,593,545.86 $2,761,560.03
2000 $1,783,527.08 $1,783,527.08 $1,783,527.08 $3,160,070.93
2007 $2,411,984.04 $2,411,984.04 $2,411,984.04 $394,704.97
2008 $2,466,381.18 $2,466,381.18 $2,466,381.18 $4,059,239.83

5
Calendar % increase % increase
Year promoter's Bookmaker's 5 increase in
total sales, total sales, total betting,
1977=100) 1977=100) 1977=100
1977 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%
1978 469.85% 4228.74% 2825.30%
1979 -241.15% -4185.40% 3064.04%
1980 -921.05% -4590.50% 2714.93%
1987 14000.00% 4299.89% 19171.22%
1988 9010.50% 1327.00% 14981.70%
1989 21192.92% 8585.63% 30849.98%
1990 25682.61% 11260.72% 26531.08%
1997 504729.21% 296690.38% 299342.58%
1998 -9941.66% 291799.56% 302491.60%
1999 609815.52% 359303.81% 391039.79%
2000 683709.41% 403331.90% 448912.42%
2007 928150.06% 548976.63% 47319.92%
2008 949308.03% 561583.15% 579491.69%

5 increase/decrease in betting sales, 1977=100

1000000.00%

800000.00%
% increase promoter's
600000.00% total sales, 1977=100)
percentage change

% increase
400000.00% Bookmaker's total
sales, 1977=100)
5 increase in total
200000.00% betting, 1977=100

0.00%
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15

-200000.00%
period

Calendar Book
Year Promoter’s Makers Total
Total in Total in Betting in
US$ US $ US $
1977 28252.75 47417.58 75670.33

6
 1978 19090.78 43543.97 62634.75
1979 14255.68 36857.39 51113.07
1980 13113.48 36074.72 49188.2
1987 11198.55 25257.53 36456.08
1988 8870.417 22349.91 31220.33
1989 13898.96 34851.99 48750.95
1990 12671.27 22073.62 34744.89
1997 37267.5 22719.35 59986.85
1998 35532.47 23180.14 58712.61
1999 40651.68 29796.28 70447.96
2000 41400.35 31953.2 73353.55
2007 34925.92 22136.13 5715.392
2008 33823.11 21843.92 55667.03
Source:-The Jamaica Racing Commission

The table and graph below express the above in percentage terms thus enabling a closer
examination in the change in betting sales between 1977 and 2008.

Calendar % Change % change in % Change in

Year in Total Promoters Bookmakers
Betting Total Total
1977=100 1977=100 1977=100
1977 100 100 100
1978 82.77 67.57 91.83
1979 67.55 50.46 77.73
1980 65.00 46.41 76.08
1987 48.18 39.64 53.27
1988 41.26 31.40 47.13
1989 64.43 49.20 73.50
1990 45.92 44.85 46.55
1997 79.27 131.91 47.91
1998 77.59 125.77 48.89
1999 93.10 143.89 62.84
2000 96.94 146.54 67.39
2007 7.55 123.62 46.68
2008 73.57 119.72 46.07
Source: The Jamaica Racing Commission

7
 % in Total Sales, 1977=100

160
140 % Chandge in
% change over 1977 sales

120 Total Betting

1977=100
100
% change in
80 Promoters
Total 1977=100
60
% Change in
40
Bookmakers
20 Total 1977=100
0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13
periods, 1977-2008

What can be seen from the tables and graph above is that not only is there a question of
declining total sales , but from the mid 1980s private bookmakers have been reducing
their participation in the sales of bets on local races. While there has been a consistent
increase in the promoter’s share in total betting sales its impact remains less than it would
have been if the private bookmakers were operating at their pri-1980s level.

Coupled with the above, the promoter has been called on to match changes in betting
sales to that of the payment of purses. See table and graph below:-

 
Calendar % change in % change in
Total Betting Total Purse
Year Year to Year Year to Year
1977 !00 100.00
1978 82.77 73.37
1979 81.60 106.99
1980 96.23 121.94
1987 74.12 59.04
1988 85.64 83.28
1989 156.15 145.62
1990 71.27 92.96
1997 172.65 267.97
1998 97.88 110.96
1999 119.99 103.79
2000 104.12 100.50
2007 7.79 94.00

8
 2008 973.98 108.71

% Change in Total Purse and Total Betting

Year to Year

1200

1000
% change in Total
800 Betting Year to
Year
%Change

600
% change in Total
400 Purse Year to Year

200

0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13
Period 1977 to 2008

Marginal Change in Totat Betting & Marginal

Change in Total Purse 1977 to 2008

10

6
Marginal Change in
Total Betting
4
Marginal Change in
Total Purse
2

0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
-2

9
Data below are calculated from figures in J$ as given above and using the year 1977
as the base year.

Calendar % increase
Year promoter's % change in
total sales, total purse
1977=100) 1977=100%
1977 100% 100.00%
1978 469.85% 1368.91%
1979 -241.15% 5183.48%
1980 -921.05% 8725.77%
1987 14000.00% 24224.84%
1988 9010.50% 18502.39%
1989 21192.92% 33464.54%
1990 25682.61% 40698.31%
1997 504729.21% 656324.42%
1998 -9941.66% 753107.93%
1999 609815.52% 837133.83%
2000 683709.41% 925680.77%
2007 928150.06% 1399978.36%
2008 949308.03% 1608442.93%

% change in total purse viz-a-viz % change in

promoter's total sales

1800000%

1600000%

1400000%

1200000%

1000000% % increase promoter's

total sales, 1977=100)
800000%
% change in total
600000% purse 1977=100%

400000%

200000%

0%
1 3 5 7 9 11 13
-200000%

10
As can be seen in the chart above, the percentage increase in total purse was much
stronger during the period than the percentage change in the promoter’s total sales.

The Implications For The Racing Industry

1. The declining sale coupled with the declining participation of the private sector in
the sales of bets on local racing in addition to the increasing responsibilities of the
promoting company means greater difficulty in the funding of recurrent activities
and little or no attention to developmental activities.
2. Greater demands on the state to give various types of “incentives” and or grants.
3. The potential risk of accelerated decapitalization of the industry in the short to
medium term as a result of the increasing attractiveness and lower operating of
other forms of gambling.

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