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Flying Close To The Edge: Gambling Drone Operators Fighting For Their Rights In UK

Self-described professional gambler Michael McCool is engaged in an ongoing battle with racing authorities over his use of drones to gain an advantage on in-race betting on horse racing, reports wired.co.uk. The footage of races used in betting shops has a built in delay due to broadcast technology, so McCool's ability to reduce that latency gives him an advantage of up to three seconds over most bettors.

Racecourse operators are concerned about both the safety of the race participants and the integrity of the betting product.

“There is no way to know where, and by whom, such broadcasts are being used,” a spokesperson for Arena Racing Company, which runs 16 horse racing courses and two greyhound tracks, told Wired. “In an environment when gambling and gambling controls are under significant scrutiny, it cannot be right that these operators dronehave such a simple way to exploit the loopholes and potentially expose the vulnerable to unlicensed routes to betting. Furthermore, it creates significant concern for all sports and live events over their ability to stage events and control their own business, into which they will have invested millions of pounds.”

The UK's Gambling Commission examined in-race wagering in September of 2016, but determined it wasn't an institutional problem for the industry: “In-play betting does not appear to generate specific additional risks to the licensing objectives as long as betting customers are sufficiently aware of their position and the respective positions of other players and the betting operators. We do not consider it necessary to intervene to prevent some players using technology to gain an advantage in terms of speed of information, provided it is clear to all players that this can be done.”

McCool argues that the advantage he gains via drone footage is part of what makes him a professional gambler.

“It's all about what edge you can get,” McCool told Wired. “You need an edge. You can't class yourself as a professional gambler if you've not got an edge. If you haven't got an edge, you're just a gambler; somebody betting on bingo and Peruvian netball.”

Indiana Grand Adds ‘Innovative Views’ From Drone Camera, Televised Stewards’ Explanations

When racing resumes for the 19th season of Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing Tuesday, April 13, racing fans will notice some new features added to the television production of the live racing broadcast. A drone will be implemented into the current lineup of camera shots, opening up a whole new realm of possibilities for enhanced camera angles at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino.

“Our team has been challenged to take Caesars' racing to the forefront in technology and a drone is one step in doing so,” said Eric Halstrom, Vice President and General Manager of Racing. “As we began to pull this new concept in, we started realizing how this drone could really showcase our racing program and set our TV production apart from others. It's important to note we do not plan on changing the way people watch our races but rather complement our current production with innovative views that nobody else is offering in their daily broadcasts. Lastly, we also view this as a potential way to assist the stewards in reviewing races, especially in areas where current camera angles are more difficult than others to see the full action of a race.”

The Matrice 200 Drone is engineered and equipped with all the latest options available in aerial production. The device is a little less than three feet in width and stands 16 inches high. It's capable of zoom options with adjustable speed and is programmable from location to location. Operators are required to be licensed with the Federal Aviation Administration with a Remote Pilot Certificate. Three of Indiana Grand's audio-visual department team members recently completed training and are now licensed to fly the drone.

A special landing and takeoff pad has been constructed near the back of the paddock. Plans are in place for the drone to use the home base between assignments.

In addition to the drone, Indiana Grand has also implemented a new audio and visual system for the IHRC Stewards. Upon completion of any ruling regarding a decision made on a race, Senior State Steward Eric Smith will be televised live with an explanation from the steward's room on how they made their decision during an infraction.

“We feel providing an explanation directly from the stewards is a great way to inform fans watching and wagering on our product,” noted Halstrom. “They will now be able explain how they came to a conclusion on a specific ruling and give insight on the information they reviewed and gathered from the jockeys involved in the incident.”

Both the drone and the steward's audio/video option is on track to be unveiled in the first week of racing at Indiana Grand.

Live racing returns to Indiana Grand Tuesday, April 13 and extends through Monday, Nov. 8, 2021. Racing will be conducted at 2:25 p.m. Monday through Wednesday with first post on Thursday set at 3:25 p.m. In addition, six all-Quarter Horse racing dates are set on select Saturdays starting June 5 at 10 a.m. A special Indiana Champions Day highlighting the state's top Thoroughbred and Quarter Horses will be held Saturday, Oct. 30 beginning at 12 p.m. More information about the 2021 racing season is available at www.indianagrand.com.

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Preliminary Proof: Drones An Inexpensive, Safer Alternative For Herding Feral Horses

Feral horses that roam over extensive areas of land can be difficult to corral when necessary for management purposes, like for contraceptive treatment. Pushing the animals into a corral with a helicopter is a common way to contain them, but this method is stressful and potentially harmful to the horses; it's also expensive.

Drs. Sue McDonnell and Catherine Torcivia of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine New Bolton Center investigated if free-roaming horses would follow a drone into a corral. They based their hypothesis on the concept that a horse's natural instinct is to become alert to novel objects and intruders, and to respond as a herd to level of arousal elicited.

To test their theory, the duo used a consumer-grade drone and the university's herd of 123 semi-feral ponies. They discovered that the drone was able to lead the horses into corrals on the first attempt and again on seven of nine additional attempts over the next month.

The drone led the horses to the same and different destinations. The horses tended to follow at a fast walk, with some slow trotting intervals interspersed. In each case, a stallion or multiple stallions first alerted the herd to the drone. The males then vocalized their concern and initiated the herd's following of the drone's retreat.

The scientists found that the drone was most effective when flying between 6 and 20 feet above the ground and leading the herd at a distance of about 30 feet. Next, the duo will test the drone on a herd of feral horses in a larger enclosure. If successful, they will conclude that drone use may provide a lower-cost, lower-stress, repeatable option for capturing feral horses, and improve both human and equine safety.

Read the full project report here.