Is Help on the Way? California Racing Gets Some Encouragement. Maybe

[andymays]

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/55716/california-racing-gets-some-encouragement

Excerpt:

Representatives from the major racing associations each spoke briefly, with Santa Anita's Ron Charles suggesting it was time to give betting exchanges, including head-to-head wagering and betting on races in progress, legislative consideration.

"This is one example of ways to open up racing to new exciting types of wagering," Charles said.

Stephen Burn -- representing Betfair, the British online wagering company that owns TVG -- talked about the feasibility of getting American punters, who have been raised on the Pari-Mutuel system, to adapt to exchange betting. He also suggested that if successful, exchange wagering could provide more favorable financial returns for horsemen than they currently receive through advance deposit wagering.

"We want to be used as a tool" for improving racing's fortunes while getting exchange betting into the mainstream, Burn said.

[TJDave]

Like bettors need another excuse to stay home.

Just another nail in the coffin.

[andymays]

Like bettors need another excuse to stay home.

Just another nail in the coffin.


I don't know enough about the Betfair thing to have an opinion. There are some people I respect that say it would be better.

I do know that a couple people in that meeting could screw up just about anything they put their hands on. The jury is out on a couple of the others but Brackpool seems to be a good guy so far.

We shall see.

[Stillriledup]

Betfair allows you to 'book' against a short priced favorite. In other words if you hate an even money shot, Betfair lets you take 'all others' at even money. With the current parimutuel situation as it stands in America, you can't do that.....they force you to 'have an opinion' on another horse.

Yesterday at Santa Anita, the public made a horse named Sister Dawn 6-5 odds. I didn't like her and wanted to bet against HER, but without exchange wagering, i was forced to 'come up with some kind of opinion' on the other runners. I was wrong, ran 2nd and broke even with an across the board wager. With Betfair, i make money because my only bet is AGAINST Sister Dawn, they don't force me to make a selection, i'm permitted to take 'all others' if i want to.

That's a beautiful thing, especially if you're strength as a handicapper is identifying short priced horses who are bad bets.

[Igeteven]

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/55716/california-racing-gets-some-encouragement

Excerpt:

Representatives from the major racing associations each spoke briefly, with Santa Anita's Ron Charles suggesting it was time to give betting exchanges, including head-to-head wagering and betting on races in progress, legislative consideration.

"This is one example of ways to open up racing to new exciting types of wagering," Charles said.

Stephen Burn -- representing Betfair, the British online wagering company that owns TVG -- talked about the feasibility of getting American punters, who have been raised on the Pari-Mutuel system, to adapt to exchange betting. He also suggested that if successful, exchange wagering could provide more favorable financial returns for horsemen than they currently receive through advance deposit wagering.

"We want to be used as a tool" for improving racing's fortunes while getting exchange betting into the mainstream, Burn said.


Here we go again, unless they put the customer #1, all their damn plans will fail,

1. Lower the take out to 10 percent across the board for straight bets, others, 15 percent.

2. All surfaces go back to a natural dirt track.

3. Full Fields

4. Enforce the drug policy. Any illegal drugs, the trainer is gone for life and the horse can't run for 3 months so he can dry out.

5. Any Vet that gives a illegal drug other then on a specific list, is banned from the race track.

6. Stewart's enforce the rules, not to sit there and collect their 500 dollars per day. Right now, they are afraid to open their mouth.

7. Bring back integrity back to the game and it will fix it self.

[Horseplayersbet.com]

Here we go again, unless they put the customer #1, all their damn plans will fail,

1. Lower the take out to 10 percent across the board for straight bets, others, 15 percent.

2. All surfaces go back to a natural dirt track.

3. Full Fields

4. Enforce the drug policy. Any illegal drugs, the trainer is gone for life and the horse can't run for 3 months so he can dry out.

5. Any Vet that gives a illegal drug other then on a specific list, is banned from the race track.

6. Stewart's enforce the rules, not to sit there and collect their 500 dollars per day. Right now, they are afraid to open their mouth.

7. Bring back integrity back to the game and it will fix it self.
1. 10% on WPS, 12% on DD's and Ex's, 14% on all other bets.

4. Needed is thresholds common from one jurisdiction to another.

6. Give Stewards 4-5 minutes under the hood, if they can't find enough evidence to overturn the results in that time, let the results stand. Fine stewards for any decision that is overturned.

[Horseplayersbet.com]

What I find refreshing about this article is that the ideas are actually geared towards getting more handle and revenues....and a takeout increase wasn't even mentioned....maybe they are getting it.

As for Instant Racing, it has been a complete success for Oaklawn (they raised purses again yesterday, mainly to expanded gaming).

Who'd have thought that a video game with a takeout of only 10% on past horse races would mean so much to purse accounts?

[rwwupl]

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/55716/california-racing-gets-some-encouragement

Excerpt:

Representatives from the major racing associations each spoke briefly, with Santa Anita's Ron Charles suggesting it was time to give betting exchanges, including head-to-head wagering and betting on races in progress, legislative consideration.

"This is one example of ways to open up racing to new exciting types of wagering," Charles said.

Stephen Burn -- representing Betfair, the British online wagering company that owns TVG -- talked about the feasibility of getting American punters, who have been raised on the Pari-Mutuel system, to adapt to exchange betting. He also suggested that if successful, exchange wagering could provide more favorable financial returns for horsemen than they currently receive through advance deposit wagering.

"We want to be used as a tool" for improving racing's fortunes while getting exchange betting into the mainstream, Burn said.


I noticed an old problem... no one was there representing the core customer base... I think the customers could add a great deal to the mix, if the leaders are sincere about planning for the success in the future.

HANA is the logical organization to represent the core customer.... ;)

[Igeteven]

1. 10% on WPS, 12% on DD's and Ex's, 14% on all other bets.

4. Needed is thresholds common from one jurisdiction to another.

6. Give Stewards 4-5 minutes under the hood, if they can't find enough evidence to overturn the results in that time, let the results stand. Fine stewards for any decision that is overturned.


:) :) :) :) :) :) :) Excellent

[andymays]

My buddy and friend of the Horseplayer :rolleyes: Craig Fravel was there :rolleyes: . Enough said. :ThmbDown:

[TJDave]

That's a beautiful thing, especially if you're strength as a handicapper is identifying short priced horses who are bad bets.

Might be a beautiful thing for bettors, but unless the industry can figure out how to bring more people to the track, eventually, there won't be races for bettors to bet on.

IMO, expanding OTB in any form is self-defeating.

[Charlie D]

Might be a beautiful thing for bettors, but unless the industry can figure out how to bring more people to the track, eventually, there won't be races for bettors to bet on.

IMO, expanding OTB in any form is self-defeating.


There have no reports of any UK racecourses shutting as yet, despite some of them strugglling to get more than a handful through gate for a few years.

[TJDave]

There have no reports of any UK racecourses shutting as yet, despite some of them strugglling to get more than a handful through gate for a few years.

Just don't think you can make a fair comparison.

You could make the same case for the British monarchy. ;)

[GameTheory]

Might be a beautiful thing for bettors, but unless the industry can figure out how to bring more people to the track, eventually, there won't be races for bettors to bet on.

IMO, expanding OTB in any form is self-defeating.Why? If handle explodes, what does it matter if people go the track or not? Are they relying on hot dogs and beer sales to stay afloat? I'm sure if interest in racing grew instead of shrank (no matter what the reason), it follows that more people would show up at the track. I can't see betting exploding without attendance at least leveling off.

[TJDave]

what does it matter if people go the track or not?

Because horse racing is also a sport. If reduced to a simple game of chance it will not survive. Compared to a pair of dice, deck of cards or a slot machine, breeding and racing horses costs real money.

[GameTheory]

Because horse racing is also a sport. If reduced to a simple game of chance it will not survive. Compared to a pair of dice, deck of cards or a slot machine, breeding and racing horses costs real money.Again, if the money is there, why not? I didn't say, "what does it matter if people go to the track?", I said, "IF handle explodes, what does it matter if people go to the track?" I know that if we had exchange betting, my personal handle would sure go up. How can that be bad?

And let's be clear. "Horse racing" isn't going anywhere. Horse racing is absolutely HUGE in some parts of the world. If U.S. racing dies, then just give me a data stream and access to the pools in Japan, Australia, etc and that would be ok. And the breeding industry is still a gazillion dollar business, despite recent downturns.

Let me ask you this -- if we open up our pools to the world (more than now) and market to people in other countries, those people are never going to go to the track and yet we'll still be taking their money. How can that be bad? I don't get this idea that the only way to create revenue is to get people back to the track. If that's what needs to happen, then racing is already dead. I think the only way you're going to get new people to go to the track is to sell racing to them as a gambling game first -- one they have easy access to (as near as their laptop). Then maybe they'll become interested enough to go see what they're betting on, assuming they even have a track near enough to consider visiting. Plenty don't.

[Dave Schwartz]

I don't get this idea that the only way to create revenue is to get people back to the track.

Exactly!

The days of going to the track are gone. It just is not a competitive product.

That is why racing must find new streams of income. That means they must look beyond taxing the bettors.


They can still get more people to come to the track each day by improving the product, customer interest and making the environment more comfortable. They just cannot support themselves on getting (say) 50% more turnout. It still won't support them.

Dave

[TJDave]

The days of going to the track are gone. It just is not a competitive product.


Then someone needs to start building tracks without grandstands and parking lots or they need to figure out how to run races in cyberspace.

Either way, the general public won't buy it. Given a choice, they'd much prefer to pull the handles on slot machines.

Here's a question:

If football were played in TV studios instead of stadiums would it survive?

[Seabiscuit@AR]

If there was no betting on the horses there would close to zero interest at all in the sport. Prizemoney would be almost nothing

[Horseplayersbet.com]

Then someone needs to start building tracks without grandstands and parking lots or they need to figure out how to run races in cyberspace.

Either way, the general public won't buy it. Given a choice, they'd much prefer to pull the handles on slot machines.

Here's a question:

If football were played in TV studios instead of stadiums would it survive?
In Canada, there is the CFL. Still attracts fans. Very little betting. The players usually all need off season jobs to survive.

[Charlie D]

Then someone needs to start building tracks without grandstands and parking lots or they need to figure out how to run races in cyberspace.

Either way, the general public won't buy it. Given a choice, they'd much prefer to pull the handles on slot machines.



Here is a suggestion for you my friend. Tomorrow at around 1.30 pm GMT go to Betfair.com, find horse racing markets and look at the amounts traded in each race for 2 or 3 hours.


Then come back and tell me whether you think the public buy it or not.

[Charlie D]

Oh and those horse racing markets your going to see are competiting against soccer betting, poker, casino and almost every other gambling game know to exist in the free world as Betfair make those games available too.

[BlueShoe]

Betfair allows you to 'book' against a short priced favorite. In other words if you hate an even money shot, Betfair lets you take 'all others' at even money.That's a beautiful thing, especially if you're strength as a handicapper is identifying short priced horses who are bad bets.
This is starting to get my interest, since I seem to have a knack for finding shaky favorites. The problem is, often cannot take advantage of it. How many times do we see a 4-5 shot that we do not think has a chance, but then the rest of the field all look alike, or else are unfigureable, so we end up passing the race?

[Dave Schwartz]

Then someone needs to start building tracks without grandstands and parking lots or they need to figure out how to run races in cyberspace.

They've been doing that for years. They call them OTBs.

And online ADWs don't even have horses.


Listen, I am not saying that people NEVER go to the track. I am saying that the regular players no longer want to go every day.

Do you? Would you if you could?

[TJDave]

Listen, I am not saying that people NEVER go to the track. I am saying that the regular players no longer want to go every day.


But are you saying that tracks, currently with large investments in infrastructure for grandstands, parking, concessions etc, can continually operate without the benefit of patrons?

Where are horses gonna run?

[proximity]

Excerpt:

Representatives from the major racing associations each spoke briefly, with Santa Anita's Ron Charles suggesting it was time to give betting exchanges, including head-to-head wagering and betting on races in progress, legislative consideration.


california??

uhh??

it's time (well past time) to give FULL CARD SIMULCASTING "legislative consideration."

i want to see andymays and others arriving at california tracks and otbs at 9:00am with handicapped pps for ALL THOROUGHBRED TRACKS and not leaving until after that 9th or 10th race goes off at hou. that is playing horses.

[Dave Schwartz]

But are you saying that tracks, currently with large investments in infrastructure for grandstands, parking, concessions etc, can continually operate without the benefit of patrons?

Where are horses gonna run?

Of course not. Think of it this way... What percentage of baseball fans actually attend games every day?

I am simply saying that a trip to the race track is something the average regular player only does two or three times a month. 25 Years ago he would be going 3-4 times per week or more.

[Stillriledup]

This is starting to get my interest, since I seem to have a knack for finding shaky favorites. The problem is, often cannot take advantage of it. How many times do we see a 4-5 shot that we do not think has a chance, but then the rest of the field all look alike, or else are unfigureable, so we end up passing the race?

It happens a lot. It happens quite often to the best of us. Hate the favorite, bet against him and lose anyway, wash, rinse and repeat.