Take the money and run

wanbet-bc518

November 4, 2008, 2:27 PM ET

Wake up and smell the monopoly.

An industry struggling for its financial survival has been blessed with the only legal internet gambling in America, yet wants to funnel it all down the drain because its factions can't agree on who gets what.

While it's natural to want more, unfortunately it's even more common to over-value your personal worth. Both factors appear at play as America's horseplayers twist and turn in the breeze.

A nationwide dispute between Thoroughbred horsemen and advance deposit wagering (ADW) companies continued at an impasse this week. All the while, fans and bettors alike were shut out from online wagering on most of the top signals in the sport, including Churchill Downs and Hollywood Park.

Horsemen around the country, who have bonded specifically for a made-for-clout organization called the Thoroughbred Horsemen's Group (THG), want an equal one-third share of all dollars wagered through ADW companies to go into the purse account. Right now, they're getting approximately one-fifth of the pie.

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