On Demand
OTB Takes A New Track
Friday, August 01, 2008
In what was a last minute attempt to save the industry, New York City Off Track Betting will soon change hands. David Cornstein, chairman of the Board of Directors of the New York City OTB Corporation discusses the future of betting parlors and horse racing.
- About the Brian Lehrer Show »
- Staff Bios »
- Contact Us »
- Tapes and Transcripts »
- Latest Episode »
- Show Archive »
Features & Series
Podcast
Stay up to date.
Subscribe to the Podcast
YOU PRODUCE The Brian Lehrer Show
Be a listener-producer with facts, questions and people you'd like to hear on the air.
More
The Brian Lehrer Show Scrapbook
Visit the scrapbook for daily photos and miscellany from The Brian Lehrer Show.
More
Shop at Amazon!
The Brian Lehrer Show picks
Start your Amazon shopping on WNYC.org and a portion of your total purchase goes to WNYC.
More
Comments
Refresh
OTB epitomizes the negative social consequences of gambling. It is a government facilitated business operation praying on the poor, alcoholic and lonely. New York should take the moral high road, such as Rhode Island, and ban all gambling from the state. Stop the debate on how to save OTB, and start the moral debate on how to end it.
Horse racing is just sleazy and OTB is sleazier. That's why young working people don't go to to OTB. It's kind of why young working people don't drink Night Train or take up heroin addiction, for the most part.
I worked in a bar and grill that had OTB several years ago while in college. In all honesty, the atmosphere was perhaps the most miserable environments ever, and it attracted the dregs of humanity. And it wasn't even profitable for the business! Gamblers gamble first and foremost, before they drink or eat, not to mention tip. The place has since closed. It is not a good business model.
Great comment, David. Night Train and crack in the parking lot. This is not an exaggeration.
Uh Mike,
Why is there an assumption that we have to save OTB? This is is no different than slot machines and lotteries. It feeds an addiction for a significant portion of the population, is a tax on the poor, and consistently does NOT provide the revenue to government programs as promised.
this comment is for david cornstien,,, since verizon is now is competition with time warner,, are there any future plans ,since they are expanding,, to broadcast on fios. we just switched over, and was very dissapointed that otb is not a chanel ther, ( plus we were lied to ,and told they were when ordering fios) i have 30 days to cancel fios if not satisfied, so i would like to find more information on this, on whether to keep fios or not,, thanks
Leave a Comment
Please stay on topic, be civil, and be brief.
Back to EpisodeEmail addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. Names are displayed with all comments. WNYC reserves the right to edit any comments posted on this site. Please read the WNYC.org Comment Guidelines before posting.