Equibase, LLC released its sixth monthly report of 2021 on Economic Indicators in Thoroughbred Racing on Tuesday, July 6. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Equibase has been providing monthly economic indicators advisories. The Advisory is typically disseminated on a quarterly basis to provide key metrics used to measure racing's performance throughout the year.
The total U.S. wagering for June of 2021 was nearly even with that of June 2019, despite a 12.60 percent drop in races held. In addition, June of 2019 had five weekends of racing, while June of 2021 only had four; wagering is typically much higher on weekends than on weekdays.
Comparison to June of 2020, when racing was seriously disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, actually shows a slight decline from $998 million in 2020 to $993 million in 2021.
Year-to-date numbers for 2019 versus 2021 show that total wagering has increased by 10.67 percent, while average daily wagering is up 23.79 percent.
The first six months of 2019 showed wagering totals of $5.6 trillion, while the first six months of 2020 brought in wagering of $5.05 trillion. In 2021, the first six months have increased to show wagering totals of $6.2 trillion.
| June 2021 vs. June 2020 | |||||||
| Indicator | June 2021 | June 2020 | % Change | ||||
| Wagering on U.S. Races* | $993,147,243 | $998,331,984 | -0.52% | ||||
| U.S. Purses | $103,624,634 | $69,469,595 | +49.17% | ||||
| U.S. Race Days | 437 | 300 | +45.67% | ||||
| U.S. Races | 3,413 | 2,485 | +37.34% | ||||
| U.S. Starts | 23,870 | 20,146 | +18.49% | ||||
| Average Field Size | 6.99 | 8.11 | -13.73% | ||||
| Average Wagering Per Race Day | $2,272,648 | $3,327,773 | -31.71% | ||||
| Average Purses Per Race Day | $237,127 | $231,565 | +2.40% | ||||
| 2nd QTR 2021 vs. 2nd QTR 2020 | |||||||
| Indicator | 2nd QTR 2021 | 2nd QTR 2020 | % Change | ||||
| Wagering on U.S. Races* | $3,511,798,209 | $2,545,997,500 | +37.93% | ||||
| U.S. Purses | $299,952,725 | $118,940,997 | +152.19% | ||||
| U.S. Race Days | 1,115 | 508 | +119.49% | ||||
| U.S. Races | 9,090 | 4,290 | +111.89% | ||||
| U.S. Starts | 65,092 | 36,101 | +80.31% | ||||
| Average Field Size | 7.16 | 8.42 | -14.91% | ||||
| Average Wagering Per Race Day | $3,149,595 | $5,011,806 | -37.16% | ||||
| Average Purses Per Race Day | $269,016 | $234,136 | +14.90% | ||||
| YTD 2021 vs. YTD 2020 | |||
| Indicator | YTD 2021 | YTD 2020 | % Change |
| Wagering on U.S. Races* | $6,277,894,486 | $5,054,526,907 | +24.20% |
| U.S. Purses | $514,950,882 | $324,168,648 | +58.85% |
| U.S. Race Days | 1,881 | 1,301 | +44.58% |
| U.S. Races | 15,792 | 10,906 | +44.80% |
| U.S. Starts | 117,303 | 88,074 | +33.19% |
| Average Field Size | 7.43 | 8.08 | -8.02% |
| Average Wagering Per Race Day | $3,337,530 | $3,885,109 | -14.09% |
| Average Purses Per Race Day | $273,764 | $249,169 | +9.87% |
2019 Comparisons:
| June 2021 vs. June 2019 | |||
| Indicator | June 2021 | June 2019 | % Change |
| Wagering on U.S. Races* | $993,147,243 | $990,923,384 | +0.22% |
| U.S. Purses | $103,624,634 | $115,194,834 | -10.04% |
| U.S. Race Days | 437 | 499 | -12.42% |
| U.S. Races | 3,413 | 3,905 | -12.60% |
| U.S. Starts | 23,870 | 27,726 | -13.91% |
| Average Field Size | 6.99 | 7.10 | -1.50% |
| Average Wagering Per Race Day | $2,272,648 | $1,985,818 | +14.44% |
| Average Purses Per Race Day | $237,127 | $230,851 | +2.72% |
| 2nd QTR 2021 vs. 2nd QTR 2019 | |||
| Indicator | 2nd QTR 2021 | 2nd QTR 2019 | % Change |
| Wagering on U.S. Races* | $3,511,798,209 | $3,137,805,499 | +11.92% |
| U.S. Purses | $299,952,725 | $316,882,492 | -5.34% |
| U.S. Race Days | 1,115 | 1,260 | -11.51% |
| U.S. Races | 9,090 | 10,167 | -10.59% |
| U.S. Starts | 65,092 | 73,409 | -11.33% |
| Average Field Size | 7.16 | 7.22 | -0.82% |
| Average Wagering Per Race Day | $3,149,595 | $2,490,322 | +26.47% |
| Average Purses Per Race Day | $269,016 | $251,494 | +6.97% |
| YTD 2021 vs. YTD 2019 | |||
| Indicator | YTD 2021 | YTD 2019 | % Change |
| Wagering on U.S. Races* | $6,277,894,486 | $5,672,774,271 | +10.67% |
| U.S. Purses | $514,950,882 | $544,002,132 | -5.34% |
| U.S. Race Days | 1,881 | 2,104 | -10.60% |
| U.S. Races | 15,792 | 17,457 | -9.54% |
| U.S. Starts | 117,303 | 130,239 | -9.93% |
| Average Field Size | 7.43 | 7.46 | -0.44% |
| Average Wagering Per Race Day | $3,337,530 | $2,696,185 | +23.79% |
| Average Purses Per Race Day | $273,764 | $258,556 | +5.88% |
* Includes worldwide commingled wagering on U.S. races.
The post Economic Indicators: Month-To-Month Wagering Numbers Fairly Steady In June appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
