TVG, Magna split telephone handle

Television Games Network's telephone and Internet-wagering service has accepted 48.4 percent of the amount bet in California since Jan. 24, when account wagering officially began in the state, according to TVG figures.

According to the figures, handle through TVG's hub from California customers through Feb. 5 was $598,271, an average of $49,855 a day. TVG was licensed on Jan. 24, along with Magna Entertainment's XpressBet system.

According to figures supplied by the California Horse Racing Board, total handle through the two systems since Jan. 25 has been $1,235,318. Handle through Magna's system, therefore, has been $637,047, an average of $53,087.

Magna, which owns Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park, Golden Gate Fields, and Bay Meadows, among others, currently offers wagering on the only live signals in California. Because the two companies could not agree on a contract, TVG is prohibited from taking wagers on Magna's tracks.