Recently, the subject of diverting funds from casino subsidies for purses toward marketing the sport of harness racing has once again been broached. This is a concept that we have heard about for years.  The general criticism of the idea, which has been pushed consistently by Jeff Gural, has been that the concept is too broad, too vague and doesn’t have a specific plan attached to it.  That’s fair.  However, it is pretty laughable when both the Chairman of the Board and the Chief Operating Officer of the United States Trotting Association both recently publicly recognized that this general concept has overwhelming support (87% according to a 2012 poll of USTA members in New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware), yet nobody has ever bothered to do anything about it.  Essentially saying that many people support the concept, but nobody has ever done anything about it. Amazingly, people have pointed their fingers back at Jeff Gural and told him that it doesn’t matter that so many people support the concept because he hasn’t put forth a specific plan.  Why is it amazing?  For one thing, you would think if people who supported a concept cared about the industry and its future, after that 2012 poll took place, some things may have taken place. Perhaps a committee would have been formed, tasked with exploring the concept, determining the costs involved with utilizing marketing firms.  Perhaps the leaders of horsemen’s associations could have been brought into a room to discuss the idea and gauge support/resistance, identify the hurdles and work collectively to overcome them.  Instead, nothing has happened. Jeff Gural suggested using 5% of the revenue from casinos to fund this idea.  I will try to take it a step further and lay out a plan, using $500 Million as the revenue number from casinos, since that is the number that has often been referenced, leaving a budget of $25 Million. Have the USTA form a committee that does the following: Pursue the idea of hiring a marketing firm to help promote the sport. Organize a meeting of the leaders of the horsemen’s association to identify and work through the hurdles. Present this data to the people leading the charge on the topic. Continue in a supporting role as the project advances. Create a committee that is responsible for the funds/budget of the product. Offer a budget of $8 Million to the firm to promote the sport via modern marketing techniques, an enhanced social media platform and utilization of other media channels outside of television broadcasts. Utilize $5 Million to televise major stakes races on major sports networks. Include the marketing firm in the process for purposes of cohesion and consistency, Apply $2 Million to the World Harness Handicapping Championship Contest Prize Pool. This will build interest from players and ADW’s alike, growing the contest dramatically. Allocat $500,000 for the contest to take place in a premium location (i.e. Las Vegas), to supply travel, hotel rooms, etc. Allocate $5 Million for a “National Wagering Enhancement Fund.” This fund is used to seed pools at racetracks throughout the year to help promote wagering, reduce effective takeout, thus drawing more attention to the product. Allocate $4.5 Million for a discretionary fund to be used throughout the year when opportunities present themselves to further promote the industry through mainstream channels. These are just one person’s thoughts on some ways we can use that money to advance the sport. I am not saying they are all the greatest ideas ever conceived or that everyone should agree with them.  The point is that in less than 500 words, I outlined a plan with some specificity as to how we can allocate this kind of a budget to “market the sport.”  The industry has had years to put these kind of thoughts on paper, create discussions and try to advance the topic and nothing has happened.  All we have seen is criticism, name-calling and lack of leadership. If the United States Trotting Association wants to have no part in this and strictly be a record-keeping entity that votes on rules once per year, they should say that is all they are going to be as a group.  Otherwise, they should be trying to organize conversations amongst the interested parties. If horsemen’s associations around the country refuse to even listen to this idea because they don’t want a single dollar to come from their purses to invest in the future of the industry, they should say that is their position.  Simply stating that “the law in this state says we have to use these funds for purses” is a cop-out.  Laws change all the time.  The quote that most disturbed me was from Ivan Axelrod, USTA chairman of the board. He said the following: “Yes, I think that if posed the question, most members would say yes to spending other people’s money to market the sport.” Herein lies the problem.  Those reaping the benefits of the casino-funded purse subsidies believe those subsidies belong to them, not the industry.  The casino-subsidies have created a sense of entitlement and complacency within an industry.  We can pretend that there are laws and regulations in place that will prohibit this idea from ever becoming a reality.  We can state those laws will never change.  Or, we can be honest.  The powers that be who control and receive those funds don’t want anyone else’s hands in “their pockets.”