NYRA Ready to Implement New Restrictions on CAW Play

[Wandering Eyes]

After announcing in December at the Global Symposium on Racing in Tuscon, Arizona that it would be taking steps to limit Computer Assisted Wagering (CAW play) within the coming months, NYRA announced Friday that the new rules will go into effect on Feb. 5.

Calling the measures new “guardrails,” NYRA revealed at the Arizona symposium that all CAW play will eventually cease at one minute to post in all pools. CAW players can still bet after the one-minute time limit, but they will be restricted to six bets or less during that time frame. According to the NYRA press release, “CAW activity is defined by NYRA and its peer tracks according to the speed of wager execution. NYRA considers wagering to be CAW activity when that speed exceeds six bets per second.”

NYRA, which has taken steps in the past to prevent large, last-second drops in the odds in the win pools, said this is another step that will benefit the retail horseplayer.

“As such, NYRA will institute a comprehensive approach to the management of CAW activity for the benefit of horseplayers.” the statement read.

“This policy reflects the importance of modernizing pari-mutuel wagering to address the technology-driven evolution of high-speed wagering,” said David O'Rourke, NYRA President & CEO. “Reducing odds volatility will increase pricing transparency and improve the wagering experience for horseplayers in New York and across the country.”

O'Rourke signaled his intent to work on the CAW problem when he spoke in Arizona.

“What I'm saying here is we draw a line now, we start measuring what's going on within that period of time, and then we start looking at other things,” he said at the time.

NYRA owns a 20 percent stake in the Elite Turf Club, which includes some of the largest CAW players in the world as its customers. (The Stronach Group, which operates Santa Anita and Gulfstream, owns the other 80 percent). But that has not kept NYRA from taking steps to protect the everyday players, many of whom are believed to be disappearing because they cannot compete against the many advantages given to the CAW players.

Since 2021, CAW teams have been prohibited from placing batch bets in the win pool within two minutes of the race start. That has dramatically cut down on the phenomenon of the odds of horses plummeting in the win pool after the start of the race. The current win-pool policy will remain in effect. CAW players have also been completely banned from the Late Pick Five and the Pick Six. NYRA also eliminated jackpot provisions in their Pick 6. As the carryovers build up in jackpot-style wagers, CAW teams often make huge bets into the pools and were often able to take home the bulk of a pool that built up as regular horseplayers were making losing bets that led to the large carryovers.

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