Wagering in U.S. dips 2% in 2019, Purses Increase, Field Size Decreases

you're listening to an article from canadian thoroughbred.com. wagering in u.s. dips 2% in 2019, purses increase, field size decreases by: equibase |. 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. advertisement scroll to continue with content 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.