New NYRA Rules Regarding CAW Play Will De Delayed

[Wandering Eyes]

Citing a need to upgrade its tote system, NYRA announced Friday that the new “guardrail rails” put in place regarding Computer Assisted Wagering (CAW) will not go into effect until Feb. 11. With winter weather having knocked out the Saturday and Sunday cards at Aqueduct, the 11th is the next scheduled day of racing.

“The guardrails requiring CAW activity to cease at 1 MTP have been suspended today to allow for technical upgrades to the tote system,” read a NYRA statement. “The win pool, Late Pick 5 and Pick 6 restrictions remain in effect. NYRA expects the CAW guardrails to be in place February 11 and moving forward.

Before being temporarily suspended, the new rules went into effect Thursday. Under the “guardrails,” NYRA will require CAW activity to cease at one minute to post in all wagering pools not previously subject to high-speed wagering restrictions. However, CAW players will still be allowed to place as many as six wagers per second once the clock hits one minute to post.

“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 said when announcing the Feb. 5 unveiling of the new policy. “Reducing odds volatility will increase pricing transparency and improve the wagering experience for horseplayers in New York and across the country.”

The delay was announced just one day after a particularly odd phenomenon took place in Thursday's first race at Aqueduct. One CAW player placed $206,700 in win wagers on the race, betting on three horses. According NYRA, $182,422 was wagered on Patience N Grace (The Factor). Listed at 5-1 in the morning line, that horse was knocked down to odds of 33-100.

The bets were all made with three minutes to post,” NYRA reported.

CAW players normally make their wagers at the very last second so they can get a “last look” at the pari-mutuel pools and hunt for overlays. None of the three horses bet by CAW players won, which created an overlay on the 6-5 morning line favorite, Undergrad (Outwork), who paid $10.32 to win. It was unclear why the CAW player made his or her bets with three minures remaining before the race.

“These ongoing tote upgrades are connected to the throttling down of high-speed wagering as required by NYRA, but unrelated to the betting activity in R1 on Thursday,” NYRA's statement read.

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