NYRA plans to introduce jackpot pick six

At some point during the Saratoga meet, the New York Racing Association plans to offer a pick six wager along the lines of the Rainbow 6 that has become popular in other jurisdictions, most notably Gulfstream Park.

The wager, which has a 20-cent minimum bet, pays out the entire pool only if there is one ticket with all six winners. If there is more than one winning ticket, 75 percent of the pool would be distributed to those winning tickets, with 25 percent being carried over to the next day’s card.

The wager, which would be known as the Empire 6, would replace the longstanding pick six bet in New York that is a $2 minimum bet.

“Customer demand and the marketplace,” NYRA president and CEO David O’Rourke said when asked why NYRA wants to implement the bet. “I believe we were the last major jurisdiction offering the $2 pick six, and there’s tradition to that bet – and that bet at Saratoga, historically, has worked out once in a while with large carryovers. But all the information we have and the feedback we’ve gotten [shows] lower-base minimums and high potential outcomes, for lack of a better term, are what the customer wants. So our intention is to launch the Empire 6 during Saratoga, and we look forward to seeing how it plays out.”

In September 2018, NYRA received approval from the New York State Gaming Commission to offer a jackpot pick six wager. However, the commission still needs to approve the details of the wager at a yet-to-be-scheduled meeting.