At the Global Symposium on Racing, NYRA president David O’Rourke announced that starting next month, NYRA will limit computer-assisted wagering (CAW) activity across multiple betting pools to six bets per second during the final minute before post time. This move aims to reduce late-cycle odds volatility, a common frustration among retail bettors who feel disadvantaged by rapid, high-volume CAW bets placed moments before races start. The one-minute restriction will also apply to the win pool, aligning it with other pools, though retail-only Late Pick 5 and Pick 6 wagers will remain unaffected. Similar restrictions at tracks like Del Mar and Santa Anita have successfully reduced odds swings, while tracks without such limits, like Churchill Downs and Keeneland, experience more volatility.
O’Rourke emphasized the need for “guardrails” to manage betting volatility, noting that retail bettors also contribute to late odds changes. CAW accounts for over 20% of handle at some tracks, with wagers placed via advanced technology in the final moments before races, often before true odds are publicly displayed. NYRA plans to improve cycle times and has requested the creation of an odds volatility metric to better measure fluctuations. Additionally, NYRA intends to make raw data feeds publicly available soon to increase transparency. The initiative has been praised as a positive step toward restoring wagering confidence among traditional horseplayers and encouraging other operators to adopt similar measures.
