I remember well...
Tracks, OTBs, Wire Rooms were packed, if you couldn't watch live you placed your wagers and called in results, or received the next day in the sports section.
The Big M, Yonkers, wall to wall people. If you didn't have a vehicle they had these private van services carting your ass there and taking you home, gave you betting and food vouchers so it was basically free.
The handle starting slipping so they started manipulating wager amounts, didn't work, I remember a $3 tri at Yonkers lol.
That 714 tri scandal at Yonkers that got Lachance banded and packing for the BigM was a blow, Herve on another too with the Feds and they dropped the race tampering and went for the tax evasion. I think around then they added the passing lane to make it more competitive.
They co-existed in a world with Jai alai and dog racing.
Simulcasting, the first big lifeline, lots of in fighting who would receive what signal.
The SPORTS EYE - a great past performance.
Milkshakes, and the needle were the ped then until the veins collapsed.
Some OTBs up north in NY you could get track prices, some bookies at the OTB too.
Jate Lobell had one hell of a very long winning streak and raced quite frequently.
Some of y'all predecessors kept fucking it all up, ceaseless greed and corruption
