A dismal December for U.S. wagering on Thoroughbred horse racing put an exclamation point to the worst year for the industry since 2020, when businesses throughout the country were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Equibase LLC, the industry’s official database, the month of December saw a 14.44 percent decline in wagering, the biggest monthly percentage drop of 2024. Three other months had double-digit wagering declines: January, -10.76 percent; April, -11.42 percent; and September, -10.96 percent.
One month, June, posted double-digit gains in wagering compared to 2023, when it registered a 10.31 percent uptick.
December’s handle was $682,069,945, a drop of $115 million from December 2023, when $797,201,156 was wagered on U.S. racing.
