Saturday, December 11, 2010
Contact: Dan Silver
dsilver@nyrainc.com
AQUEDUCT ON-TRACK HANDLE AND ATTENDANCE UP DOUBLE DIGITS
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Buoyed by bus service provided by The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) and double rewards offered to new NYRA Rewards customers, on-track handle and attendance posted big gains at Aqueduct Racetrack on Saturday.
On-track handle on races at Aqueduct was $1,065,015, up 21 percent from the $882,760 that was wagered on the comparable date from last year, Saturday, December 12, 2009.
Attendance also rose sharply, with the 5,444 people that came to Aqueduct representing a 61 percent increase over last year’s attendance of 3,378.
Despite the closure of New York City Off-Track Betting (NYCOTB) contributing to a 47 percent drop in intrastate wagering on Aqueduct’s Saturday card ($1,281,481 this year as opposed to $2,423,338 last year), all sources handle was only off 7 percent, $8,798,355 this year as compared to $9,491,999 last year.
“We are very encouraged by the strong numbers that have been generated despite the closure of NYCOTB,” said NYRA President and CEO Charles Hayward. “Many people have been taking advantage of the buses that we are providing from the five boroughs and we have also seen an uptick in sign-ups for our NYRA Rewards program. Chairman John Sabini and the New York State Racing and Wagering Board have been very helpful with their decisive action on a number of initiatives that are helping us offer NYRA Rewards perks, like double rewards for new members and instant sign-ups slated to begin next week.”
On Saturday, 164 customers arrived at Aqueduct via the bus service being offered by NYRA, which includes pick-up points in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island, and The Bronx.
For a complete bus schedule and for more information on the new NYRA Rewards perks and to sign up for an account, customers can visit the following landing page: http://nyra.com/aqueduct/stories/NYRARewards.shtml
Founded in 1955, and franchised to run thoroughbred racing at New York’s three major tracks through 2033, NYRA boasts a lineage that actually stretches back almost 150 years. NYRA tracks are the cornerstone of the state’s thoroughbred business which contributes more than $2 billion annually to New York State’s urban, suburban and rural economy. In 2009, more than 1.6 million people attended the live races at NYRA tracks. Factoring nationwide off-track wagering, the average daily betting handle on NYRA races alone totals more than $9.3 million every race day. NYRA has a vast network of websites, including www.nyra.com, www.belmontstakes.com, and www.nyragroupsales.com. You can also follow NYRA on social media platforms Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, and YouTube.
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