From: no_email@invalid.invalid   
      
   Alan  wrote:   
      
   > You think that the Kentucky Derby would be as well attended if everyone   
   > knew that a particular horse was almost certain to win?   
   >   
   > Sure, there are all kinds of side bets and prop bets, etc. but sports   
   > gambling is centred on picking the WINNERS.   
   >   
   That may be so but horse racing is very much centred around betting   
   whereas, unless things have changed very much since I was regularly   
   attending grands prix, few F1 fans are interested in gambling - they go to   
   races for the excitement and spectacle. Many years ago Ladbrokes set up a   
   tent at the British GP but the experiment was obviously a failure as it was   
   never repeated.   
      
   Conversely, dedicated gamblers are unlikely to be interested in the actual   
   race (if they bet on it they would probably do so online) they are more   
   attracted by the immediacy of the roulette wheel, fruit machine or   
   blackjack table.Remember that Vegas is no longer restricted to hookers and   
   gambling (although both are certainly massively available); there are many   
   other attractions for visitors.   
      
   Difficult to predict whether the GP will be a success, but if it is not I   
   don’t think that will be because the WDC has already been decided (although   
   I concede that a close battle for the championship would have stimulated   
   interest).   
      
   --   
   Sir Tim   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)