State anti-gambling laws pose an existential threat to the business models of sports betting companies like FanDuel and DraftKings. (See, for example, pages 26-33 of this treatise by law professor Marc Edelman.) But what if you were to bet on athletes like you bet on horses? Betting on horse races is based on the pari-mutuel system of wagering (“pari-mutuel” means “betting among ourselves”), and this system is already legal in 43 states! You may have heard of exotic Trifecta bets, but the most common types of wagers under the pari-mutuel system are Win, Place, and Show bets. Here is how these wagers work (via turfnsport.com): Continue reading →