Drf caves into the tracks

[lurker]

Starting tomorrow Drf will no longer accept online ads from offshore casinos, cardrooms, racebooks and sportsbooks. Just thought that the members of this board would like to know first. Print ads can run until June 10. Looks like DRF knew this was coming and took thier premium event ad dollars along the way. I wonder if Giacomo had won the Preakness if this would happen now or until after the Belmont?

[BeatTheChalk]

I dont quite get it. If fans can no longer read about VENUES ... where they
can place wagers ...... how will that be Caving to the Tracks ?? Are
folks going to flock back to the PHYSICAL RACING VENUES ?? I dont think
so. So HOW DOES THE new ad policy help ?? thanks

[Zaf]

I'm surprised they that they are willing to turn down revenue. What's in it for the DRF to do this ?

ZAFONIC

[kenwoodallpromos]

Maybe some big offshore accounts were discontinuing anyway so this looks good.
I understand that NTRA, DRF, Trackmaster, and Equibase are siamese quadruplets anyway.
I hope this means the racing industry is showing cooperation and not fighting each other. Like I always say- Custer thought he was surrounding the enemy. Will offshore customers bet USA tracks more or start betting tracks outside the USA?

[hurrikane]

I would love to bet into the hong kong pools. Anyone know a service offering that?

[BillW]

I would love to bet into the hong kong pools. Anyone know a service offering that?

TVG/HRTV both take HK action.

EDIT:
sorry - I just noticed you said "HK Pools" - these both play into a seperate US pool.

[andicap]

I dont quite get it. If fans can no longer read about VENUES ... where they
can place wagers ...... how will that be Caving to the Tracks ?? Are
folks going to flock back to the PHYSICAL RACING VENUES ?? I dont think
so. So HOW DOES THE new ad policy help ?? thanks

I guess the tracks/NTRA/maybe even the breeders must have pressured DRF to do this. They have a pretty cozy relationship the DRF doesn't want to risk losing. Does anyone recall the positions Steve Crist has taken in his columns about the offshore books? Has he been critical?

Beat,
Many tracks dislike the offshore books because they can offer rebates while the tracks can't due to the differences in economic obligations between the rebaters and the tracks. Rebaters pay just 3% or so to the tracks -- that gives them a lot of extra leeway to return money to bettors. Tracks have to pay state, purses, infrastructure, salaries, etc. Some high rollers get up to 10% rebates!!

DRF policy doesn't effect domestic betting venues.

Of course without the rebaters a lot of heavy plungers who now play the races might just quit the game because the rebates are often the difference between losing 3% and winning 4%-7%. It's asking a lot for people to overtake a track take between 15%-25% and even more on some exotics.

[Suff]

(from New York Racing Association report)
Attendance and handle were both down significantly at the 2005 Aqueduct winter/spring meet, which concluded on May 1.
Daily average handle on-track during the 83-day meeting was down 15% from $1,288,311 in 2004 to $1,094,629 this year.

All sources total average handle was down from $8,663,317 to $7,765,246, a decline of 10.4%,

"We anticipated a 10% decline in all-sources handle after we discontinued our simulcast relationship with 10 rebate sites in late January that collectively accounted for $300 million in annual handle on New York Racing Association races," said Bill Nader, NYRA senior vice president.
"

[PaceAdvantage]

First off, I believe it is a gray area whether or not it is even LEGAL for DRF to accept revenue from these off shore sites. I know the DISCOVERY CHANNEL had ad money (3 million!!!) CONFISCATED by the FEDS that was paid to them by PartyPoker.com, an off shore, online poker room.

Today's online behemoth PartyPoker used television advertising, largely associated with the World Poker Tour, as a principal tool for building its customer base. This worked powerfully, until the day the feds seized $3 million or so that Party had paid in advance to the Discovery Channel for ads, stating the money was for advertising to promote an illegal purpose. TV (and radio) advertising to promote our industry is a risky proposition these days!

I'm quite surprised DRF has been allowed to run off shore ads for as long as they have.

Some of these online sites, mainly the poker rooms, are getting ads back ON TV, by doing an end-run around the gray-area laws. They have developed PLAY MONEY sites with almost the exact same name as the real money sites. Thus, PartyPoker.Com is now advertising its PartyPoker.NET site on TV. The .NET site is play money only, but of course, if you go there, you are more than likely bombarded with ads for the REAL MONEY site.....

[GMB@BP]

First off, I believe it is a gray area whether or not it is even LEGAL for DRF to accept revenue from these off shore sites. I know the DISCOVERY CHANNEL had ad money (3 million!!!) CONFISCATED by the FEDS that was paid to them by PartyPoker.com, an off shore, online poker room.



I'm quite surprised DRF has been allowed to run off shore ads for as long as they have.

Some of these online sites, mainly the poker rooms, are getting ads back ON TV, by doing an end-run around the gray-area laws. They have developed PLAY MONEY sites with almost the exact same name as the real money sites. Thus, PartyPoker.Com is now advertising its PartyPoker.NET site on TV. The .NET site is play money only, but of course, if you go there, you are more than likely bombarded with ads for the REAL MONEY site.....

thanks for the heads up, was wondering why I started seeing those commercials for non gambling sites which were clearly promoting their service.

[kingfin66]

I was wondering about those ads. They also say clearly on the screen that they are not a gambling site. This was certainly news to me when I saw it, but now I understand. Don't the feds have some terrorists to catch?

[alysheba88]

Yet they accept ads from the "guaranteed lock" scamdicappers.

Typical hypocricy. The quality of their ads has gone rapidly downhill.


Guess there is more ad space available for the likes of John Piesen.

[cj]

I'm sure going to miss seeing 27 images of Brooke Burke on every damn page! :rolleyes:

[Suff]

I Brooke Burke

hubba hubba

[RonTiller]

Here is a link to a summary of the gambling advertising legal issues by what looks to be a sympathetic gaming lawyer:

http://www.firstamendment.com/Advertising_Gaming.php

All it takes is the THREAT of an investigation to modify behavior. This article in part concludes:
Most of those media outlets targeted by the recent federal investigation are large, mainstream entities, with much to lose both in terms of revenue and public opinion, if they are viewed as participating in illegal activity. Most also have alternative sources of advertising revenue, thereby encouraging the outlets to eliminate the online gambling advertising entirely, and seek to replace it with other subjects.
Better to have 100% Fed proof advertising dollars than even 1% of advertising dollars coming from sources one knows the Feds are itching to bring down, along with anybody associated with them.

Here's another good link explaining some of the issues:
http://www.cardplayer.com/poker_magazine/archives/?a_id=13636&m_id=74

One reason why people use intimidation is that it works.

Ron Tiller
HDW

[cj]

I realize I was exaggerating, or so I thought.

Home page, once.

I clicked to read a Stan Bergstein article, she is on that page 3 times.

Entries, three more times. Results page, twice more. Nearly every article she is on the page one, two, or even three times. Unbelievable really, never though I could get sick and tired of looking at her, but I have. Good riddance!

[Suff]

I realize I was exaggerating, or so I thought.

!

Just for the record. Ads or not. It won't stop a thing.

Off Shore 101. They're all here

http://www.casinocity.com/casinos/
Our worldwide directory of gaming properties includes 4535 casinos, horse tracks, dog tracks, racinos and cruise ships. Below is a list of countries which have gaming with the number of gaming properties in parenthesis. Click on a country name for a directory of casinos, horse tracks, etc. located in the country. An alphabetic list of gaming properties in the world is also available.


If your killing time

http://brokopp.casinocitytimes.com/articles/19533.html
John G. Brokopp's gaming column appears in The Times (Northwest Indiana), The Quad City Times (Davenport, Iowa), The Courier News (Elgin, Illinois), The Gazette (Southwest Suburban Chicago) and Senior Wire (Denver, CO). He's also a regular contributor to The Colorado Gambler, Midwest Gaming & Travel, Casino Player and Strictly Slots. John possesses 28 years of experience as a professional handicapper, publicist, freelance writer, and casino gaming correspondent. He is also the author of two very popular books, The Insider’s Guide to Internet Gambling and Thrifty Gambling

[Valuist]

The offshores won't be going away. Now as for Brooke Burke, she probably is taking the biggest hit here. They even discontinued that bizarre Burger King ad with her.

[alysheba88]

Has absolutely nothing to do with the legality of the ads and everything to do with protecting the tracks and elites.

[andicap]

PA, where did you get that info about Discovery Channel? What is that quote lifted from??



First off, I believe it is a gray area whether or not it is even LEGAL for DRF to accept revenue from these off shore sites. I know the DISCOVERY CHANNEL had ad money (3 million!!!) CONFISCATED by the FEDS that was paid to them by PartyPoker.com, an off shore, online poker room.



I'm quite surprised DRF has been allowed to run off shore ads for as long as they have.

Some of these online sites, mainly the poker rooms, are getting ads back ON TV, by doing an end-run around the gray-area laws. They have developed PLAY MONEY sites with almost the exact same name as the real money sites. Thus, PartyPoker.Com is now advertising its PartyPoker.NET site on TV. The .NET site is play money only, but of course, if you go there, you are more than likely bombarded with ads for the REAL MONEY site.....

[Suff]

Online poker firm has $10bn float on cards
By Alistair Osborne (Filed: 21/05/2005)


Partygaming, the world's biggest online poker company, has started talks with four continental European banks to assist with a potential $10billion London float later this year.

The Gibraltar-based company, which owns the PartyPoker.com site, is still deciding with its adviser Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein whether to float.

However, it has already begun talks with German banks Commerzbank and HVB, Spain's BBVA and Mediobanca of Italy about forming a syndicate to sell shares to investors.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2005/05/21/cngam21.xml&menuId=242&sSheet=/money/2005/05/21/ixcity.html
DKW is expected to act as the global co-ordinator and broker should a listing go ahead. PartyGaming has been forced to turn to European banks as the top US banks are unwilling to support an online gambling company because of American regulations

[skate]

if it has to do with protecting the tracks, and it might, i say "protect the tracks".

[alysheba88]

if it has to do with protecting the tracks, and it might, i say "protect the tracks".

Who is protecting the bettor from the tracks?

[PaceAdvantage]

Has absolutely nothing to do with the legality of the ads and everything to do with protecting the tracks and elites.

Absolute baloney. If it was about protecting tracks, the DRF wouldn't have been running these ads for the past number of YEARS.

[PaceAdvantage]

PA, where did you get that info about Discovery Channel? What is that quote lifted from??

It was lifted from an article in CARD PLAYER magazine.

[alysheba88]

Absolute baloney. If it was about protecting tracks, the DRF wouldn't have been running these ads for the past number of YEARS.

Nonsense. Tracks didnt care about the rebate shops for a number of years either. Now they do.

[PaceAdvantage]

And you don't think the recent Kyl bill, and the crackdown by the Feds on ad money that promotes illegal activities has anything to do with this?

DRF and HorsePlayer aren't the only ones who have stopped. Some non-racing publications have also stopped taking off shore advertising.

I personally have not taken off shore advertising percisely because of the fuzzy legal implications. Don't think I haven't had offers.