According to figures released Monday by Equibase, handle on U.S. racing dipped slightly in 2019, down 2% from 2018 numbers. The decline reversed a 4-year trend in which handle had risen every year from 2015 through 2018.
When factoring in a decrease in number of races run, from 36,586 to 36,207, handle also declined, but by just 1%. A total of $11.04 billion was wagered in 2019.
There was better news for the sport in terms of gross purses, which totalled $1,117,743,340, establishing a new record for U.S. purses and a 4.49% increase. Purses have now risen for two straight years for an 8.1% increase over 2017 figures.
Average field size fell by 0.93%. There were, on average, 7.59 starters per race in 2019 and 7.66 in 2018. It was the fifth straight year in which average field size declined.
Year – U.S. Wagering – U.S. Purses – Race Days
2019 – $11,038,790,395 – $1,167,921,650 – 4,425
2018 – $11,263,943,823 – $1,117,743,340 – 4,432
% Change -2% +4.49% – 0.16%
According to a study done by Chris Rossi at Horse Racing Nation, Pick 4 wagers continue to be the most popular multi-race bet while win, place and show continue to reign as the most popular bets overall, the Pick 5 has been gaining interest.
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