Up until this spring, if you had a wagering account with one of the major American providers of pari-mutuel wagering, you could bet on nearly every track everywhere. That changed pretty quickly, and most folks were shut out from either the Kentucky Derby or the Belmont this year.

Rather than coming together to grow their sport when the offshore sports books have been damaged by U.S. legislation, the various horse racing interests are battling it out and making things harder for customers who simply want to bet the major tracks at their convenience.

Confused? Who isn’t?

If you want it all explained, Andy Beyer is on the case in the Washington Post.