Source:www.jocofair.com

Horse racing is not as popular as it once was in the United States.

When I was a youngster it seemed that at least one in three men "played the horses" to one degree or another.

Some made a weekly pilgrimage to a racetrack and others placed bets with the bookies, and some did both.

I used to go to the Aqueduct, Yonkers, and Atlantic City racetracks, and, I admit, I also made some donations to the New Jersey bookies.

Going to the track was exciting, as was following a particular horse that a bettor seemed to have luck with, but that was at a time when there wasn't any other form of legalized gambling.

Now, with casinos popping up all over, and with a gazillion State lotteries, with dozens of variations, such as scratch-offs available, handicapping horse races has all but faded away.

However, despite most gamblers' desire for some form of wagering that is instantaneous, such as slot machines or Poker, the "horse people" aren't quite ready to line up with their steeds at the door to the glue factory.

Many racetracks have become, "Racinos", by installing slot machines, so there's something for patrons to do while waiting for the next race, and now we have a whole new breed of racetracks coming on line.

Enter the "indoor" horse racing track.

That's right, Penn National Race Track, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, conducts horse racing in the traditional way, but there aren't any outdoor seats.

Race spectators view the race indoors, on a giant circular view screen, while they play slot machines.

So the fight to keep interest in horse from waning even more continues and it will be interesting to see how this latest gimmick works out.