CAW Play Plummets at Belmont Festival, But Total Handle Still Rises

CAW Play Plummets at Belmont Festival, But Total Handle Still Rises

The “guardrails” put in place by the NYRA in an attempt to limit the wagering of the computer assisted wagering players (CAW) had a clear impact over the five-day Belmont Stakes Festival at Saratoga. Over the five days, CAW players bet a combined $22,109,626, a major drop from 2025 when they wagered $39,989,964. That represents a decrease of 44.7%. The CAW play in 2026 accounted for 11% of the total handle. In 2025, that figure was 20.2% of hand…

Belmont week handle increases despite CAW limitations

Despite the biggest bettors of horse racing reducing their handle on Saratoga Race Course by 44.7% last week compared to last year, total handle on the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival June 3-7 at Saratoga increased 2% to $199,791,961. The New York Racing Association limits how computer assisted wagering (also known as computer robotic wagering) teams bet into its pools, cutting off their access to the win pool at 2 minutes to post and limiting th…