Jai Alai Without Betting?

What would jai alai be without betting? Nothing, or not much. The same can be said of the other Basque pelota games. Betting has been the principal revenue generator for companies that exploit industrial frontons. I say this because, in recent years, something has begun moving in a different direction. Not so in the case of American frontons where betting has been the only source of revenue. In other words, if gambling were to disappear from Florida frontons, professional jai alai would disappear. It is that clear cut and dangerous. Therefore, let us hope that betting remains in place, reinforced by the marriage of convenience with Poker and Slot Machines.

The Basques are famous for gambling. There is a saying: “two Basques, one bet”. This reputation is historical. Already in the 17^th century, judge inquisitor Pierre de Lancre accused the Basque of their devotion for their “sporting” rivalries and the outdoor life. And from those games sustained by physical strength came bets and the gambling reputation: “one Basque, one Berret; two Basques, one bet”. Nevertheless, the former Basque jai alai players of Florida have lost the motivation for betting. Instead of betting, they take refuge at the bar and spend their time drinking and talking instead of betting their nickels to save jai alai, this is what we have been told and what DPOE recriminates in its role of modern inquisitor.

In the 19^th century, at the height of the Industrial Revolution, the Basque pelota games were adapting to modern times. They become more formal. Instead of challenges and rivalries between villages, the industrial frontons channel customs around betting and give it a more “serious” labor format. Pelotaris play under contract, the bookies appear, the scoring is adapted to betting, there are judges, continuous programming, etc. In that time, end of the 19^th and beginning of the 20^thcentury, professional jai alai proliferates widely in South America as in the various capitals of Spain. The money generated through betting is what keeps the frontons alive.

To recap, the dynamic of the professional Basque pelota games has been sustained exclusively, until now, by pari-mutuel betting. I say “until now” because in some cases this is not so. It is in the American jai alais.

What is happening in Europe is a different story. Until not long ago, the “points” (gamblers that habitually bet large sums of money) maintained the frontons. Without them, the companies could not survive. In the last 30 years, however, there have been significant sociological changes in Euskadi. The ample offering of cable television, the possibility of other types of betting where anonymity is preserved, the spectacular, the great event in place of daily routine programming are imposing.

The big gamblers, the “points”, are disappearing like birds in danger of extinction. Young people are not interested in betting at the frontons.

In the French-Basque frontons there is no betting because it is prohibited by French legislation. They focus on it in a different way. They offer their festivals in the Summer, tourists are their clients who will pay 20 or 30 Euros to enter the venue. En the Spanish-Basque frontons where betting is permitted, there is hardly any betting anymore. It is not out of the ordinary not to see any bookies. Where are Empresarios generating their revenue? From entry fees that can range between 10 and 30 Euros and that former Pelotaris also have to pay.

Television is one of the principal sources of income in some cases. Unfortunately, jai alai is not benefitting as in the case of other modalities like hand ball. Basque public television EITB is completely devoted to hand ball to the detriment of jai alai. The popularity of Handball has increased even more thanks to the permanent exposition in the aforementioned medium. If it were not for television, betting dependant Handball would also be a modality in clear decline as is happening with other modalities of Basque ball games.

Jai Alai in Euskadi is living an authentic challenge for its survival. How to survive without betting as revenue generator? The answer is complicated. It is as though suddenly gasoline was to disappear and this would force us to find, in a mad rush, other energy sources to operate our automobiles.

I have hopes that “Master Jai Producciones”, the television production company of Master Jai (although I do not think it is a good sign that they did not televise the Citrus tournament). This company has to channel all jai alai television productions. In other words, it has to be a window and the instrument to capture sponsors and points of sale and distribution of our Sport. So that jai alai can function with renewable energies without depending on whether the “points” are in or not, or if people stay in the bar “talking and drinking” and not betting.

And, as I requested of the metaphoric character “Unnamed Man” in my previous post, so that we have sufficient presence of mind and perspective so that in a future not too far off, the WWJA, World Wide Jai Alai, can be the organization that directs a world circuit compatible with what we already have, compatible with betting. A re-adaptation to modern times as was done in the past. Moreover, without having to depend on a few ingrates who take refuge at the bar instead of betting their nickels to save jai alai from extinction.