The American Totalisator Company, now known as AmTote International and commonly referred to as AmTote , specializes in totalisator equipment used to manage and control parimutuel betting at horse racing , greyhound racing , and jai-alai facilities.
11-430: The company was founded by Harry L. Straus , a computer engineer from Baltimore, who became interested in developing a fairer system of calculating and displaying odds and payouts on parimutuel betting after an incident at a Maryland racetrack in 1927. When a horse listed at 12:1 odds won, but paid off at 4:1, Straus recognized the need for a more accurate and transparent system. He began developing his innovative machine,
22-541: A near-universal fixture in racetracks in Europe and North America. By the 1946, Straus had begun to experiment with an all-electronic calculating system for the totalisator. Then, in 1948, he learned of the work that John W. Mauchly and Presper Eckert were doing with the EDVAC and BINAC computers. Straus became convinced that electronic computers had enormous potential for a range of applications, including applications in
33-591: A partial system in 1930, and Arlington Park racecourse, Chicago, Illinois , installed the United States ' first complete all-electric totalisator, from Straus's company, in 1933. A rival machine maker approached Straus and proposed a collaboration. The resulting company, the American Totalisator Company of Baltimore , dominated the parimutuel betting market for years. Henry Straus grew wealthy as his all electric totalisator became
44-663: A platform for AmTote's growth as the once dominant provider of totalizator solutions in North America. AmTote has installed more than 800 tote systems throughout the world. The original electro-mechanical devices have given way to fully computerized systems where bettors place and collect wagers at the same window, self-service betting terminals, Internet - and telephone -based wagering, and "hub" systems to facilitate simulcast wagering. The "classic style" AmTote display consists of 24 bulbs, 6 high by 4 wide. AmTote's numeric displays were often seen on television game shows in
55-458: 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 and later sold to a division of Motorola . Today, AmTote International is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Stronach Group ,
66-629: The business side of operations. Within a year, EMCC was a healthy corporation with contracts for UNIVACs worth $ 1.2 million. On October 25, 1949, Henry Straus was killed in a plane crash, and soon after the American Totalisator's directors withdrew their support from EMCC. Eckert and Mauchly were forced to look for a buyer, and sold their company to Remington Rand in 1950. Henry Straus developed his invention because of his love of Thoroughbred racing . With wealth from his business success, he became an owner of racehorses and would acquire
77-512: The corporate parent of several race tracks, including Pimlico. Harry L. Straus Henry Lobe Straus (March 10, 1896 – October 25, 1949) was an American electrical engineer , horse and cattle breeder, sportsman, entrepreneur and computer pioneer. Straus was a 1913 graduate of the Baltimore City College high school and a graduate electrical engineer of Johns Hopkins University . On April 26, 1927, Henry Straus
88-457: The race track business. In 1948, Straus convinced the directors of American Totalisator to invest $ 500,000 to shore up the financially troubled Eckert-Mauchly Computer Corporation which was then developing UNIVAC , the first electronic digital computer designed for commercial use. American Totalisator received 40 percent of the EMCC stock, Straus became chairman of the EMCC board and was active in
99-654: The totalisator, also known as the "tote board" using telephone relays in 1928. Straus' new company installed its first equipment at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland , which displayed odds and payouts on illuminated boards, now commonly known as " tote boards ". In 1933, American Totalisator installed its first complete electro-mechanical tote system at Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, Illinois . The Straus patents, 2,179,698 (issued November 14, 1939) and 2,182,875 (issued December 12, 1939), provided
110-487: Was at a racetrack in Havre de Grace, Maryland . He had bet $ 10 on a horse showing twelve-to-one odds. The horse won, and Straus expected to collect about $ 120. However, the final odds, announced 10 minutes after the race, were less than four-to-one, and he collected only $ 36. Disappointed, Straus decided to do something about it. A machine for calculating parimutuel odds, issuing tickets, and showing payouts on horse races
121-583: Was called a totalisator ; George Julius had invented a mechanical version that was first used in New Zealand in 1913. Straus devised an "electromechanical totalisator". Straus received help from General Electric 's Remote Control Division, who supplied the electric relays and rotary switches to compute odds. After he struggled for several years to market his invention and compete with electric totalisators used in Britain , Pimlico Race Course installed
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