American Totalisator
Encyclopedia
The American Totalisator Company, formally known today as AmTote International and often referred to simply as AmTote, is a company which specializes in totalisator equipment used to control parimutuel betting
at horse racing
, greyhound racing
and jai-alai facilities.
The company was founded by Harry L. Straus
, whose interest in a fairer system of calculating and displaying odds and payouts on parimutuel betting came after an incident in 1927 at a Maryland
racetrack, when a horse listed at 12:1 odds won, but only paid off at 4:1. Straus' new company installed its first equipment at Pimlico Race Course
in Baltimore, Maryland, which displayed odds and payouts on illuminated boards, now known as tote board
s. In 1933, American Totalisator installed its first electro-mechanical tote system at Arlington Park
in Chicago, Illinois.
Since then, AmTote has installed tote systems throughout the world in more than 800 locations. The original electro-mechanical devices have given way to fully computerized systems where bettors place and collect bets at the same window, self-service betting terminals, Internet
- and telephone
-based wagering, and "hub" systems to facilitate simulcast
wagering.
AmTote's numeric displays were often seen on television
game show
s in the 1950s and 1960s, most notably the original version of The Price is Right. The company was also an investor in the manufacturer
of the original UNIVAC
computer system.
The company is based in Hunt Valley, Maryland
. It was once owned by General Instrument
, later sold to a division of Motorola
. Today, AmTote International is a wholly owned subsidiary
of MI Developments Inc.
(MID), corporate parent of several race tracks, including Pimlico.
Parimutuel betting
Parimutuel betting is a betting system in which all bets of a particular type are placed together in a pool; taxes and the "house-take" or "vig" is removed, and payoff odds are calculated by sharing the pool among all winning bets...
at horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
, greyhound racing
Greyhound racing
Greyhound racing is the sport of racing greyhounds. The dogs chase a lure on a track until they arrive at the finish line. The one that arrives first is the winner....
and jai-alai facilities.
The company was founded by Harry L. Straus
Harry L. Straus
Harry L. Straus, born Henry Lobe Straus, was an American electrical engineer, horse and cattle breeder, sportsman, entrepreneur and computer pioneer...
, whose interest in a fairer system of calculating and displaying odds and payouts on parimutuel betting came after an incident in 1927 at a Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
racetrack, when a horse listed at 12:1 odds won, but only paid off at 4:1. Straus' new company installed its first equipment at Pimlico Race Course
Pimlico Race Course
Pimlico Race Course is a horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. Its name is derived from the 1660s when English settlers named the area where the facility currently stands in honor of Olde Ben Pimlico's Tavern in London...
in Baltimore, Maryland, which displayed odds and payouts on illuminated boards, now known as tote board
Tote board
A tote board is a large numeric or alphanumeric display used to convey information, typically at a race track or at a telethon .The term "tote board" comes from the colloquialism for totalizator , the name for the automated...
s. In 1933, American Totalisator installed its first electro-mechanical tote system at Arlington Park
Arlington Park
Arlington Park is a horse race track in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, Illinois. Horse racing in the Chicago region has been a popular sport since the early days of the city in the 1830s, and at one time Chicago had more horse racing tracks than any other major metropolitan area...
in Chicago, Illinois.
Since then, AmTote has installed tote systems throughout the world in more than 800 locations. The original electro-mechanical devices have given way to fully computerized systems where bettors place and collect bets at the same window, self-service betting terminals, Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
- and telephone
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
-based wagering, and "hub" systems to facilitate simulcast
Simulcast
Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
wagering.
AmTote's numeric displays were often seen on television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
game show
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
s in the 1950s and 1960s, most notably the original version of The Price is Right. The company was also an investor in the manufacturer
Eckert-Mauchly Computer Corporation
The Eckert–Mauchly Computer Corporation was founded by J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly, and was incorporated on December 22, 1947. After building the ENIAC at the University of Pennsylvania, Eckert and Mauchly formed EMCC to build new computer designs for commercial and military applications...
of the original UNIVAC
UNIVAC I
The UNIVAC I was the first commercial computer produced in the United States. It was designed principally by J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly, the inventors of the ENIAC...
computer system.
The company is based in Hunt Valley, Maryland
Hunt Valley, Maryland
Hunt Valley is an affluent unincorporated community in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. It lies just north of the city of Baltimore, along Highway 145 off Interstate 83. Loch Raven Reservoir...
. It was once owned by General Instrument
General Instrument
General Instrument was an electronics manufacturer based in Horsham, PA specializing in semiconductors and cable television equipment. The company was active until 1997, when it split into which was later acquired by Vishay Intertechnology in 2001, CommScope and NextLevel Systems General...
, later sold to a division of Motorola
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
. Today, AmTote International is a wholly owned subsidiary
Subsidiary
A subsidiary company, subsidiary, or daughter company is a company that is completely or partly owned and wholly controlled by another company that owns more than half of the subsidiary's stock. The subsidiary can be a company, corporation, or limited liability company. In some cases it is a...
of MI Developments Inc.
Magna Entertainment Corporation
MI Developments Inc. , formerly known as Magna Entertainment Corp., is a gambling and horse racing company in North America with several holdings in Europe and Australia, and is North America's largest thoroughbred racing company, based on revenue and holdings...
(MID), corporate parent of several race tracks, including Pimlico.