Todd Buckingham, the CEO of Australian-based BetMakers, turned some heads in the horse racing world this summer with his projection for how dramatic a move it would be to bring fixed odds alongside the traditional parimutuel wagering system.

“We believe that horse racing has the potential to be the largest sport in the U.S., including basketball, American football, and baseball,” Buckingham told Charles Hayward of the Thoroughbred Racing trade publication in June.

Buckingham added that the Australian horse racing industry had “seen prize money levels double in the past 10 years” thanks to fixed odds.

Asked about that ambitious notion at Wednesday’s SBC North America Summit held at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, Buckingham did not back off.