Jeff Gural: racino horsemen should invest 5% of slot money for marketing

[The_Knight_Sky]

Gural: Make Stakes Payments, Horsepeople Should Stash 5%http://i52.tinypic.com/24g366h.gif (http://standardbredcanada.ca/news/2-8-11/gural-make-stakes-payments-slots-states-should-stash-5.html)

While I think I could get people to come to a new Meadowlands we also rely on customers at other tracks to wager on our product and if those tracks are not marketing the product there is very little that I can do to change that dynamic.

One suggestion, if we are truly interested in the long-term future of our sport, would be for the horsemen at the tracks that have slots to take five per cent of the slot money and use it to market the product with particular emphasis on bringing new and younger people to view the product.

I think this is a small sacrifice to make in order to ensure that the young people who work in our business have a future and do not find themselves without a career in 10 or 15 years. I know four of the five people that work on my two farms are in their early 30s and Jason is also in his early 30s and these people deserve at least a chance to make a career out of our great sport.

[cj]

Gural: Make Stakes Payments, Horsepeople Should Stash 5%http://i52.tinypic.com/24g366h.gif (http://standardbredcanada.ca/news/2-8-11/gural-make-stakes-payments-slots-states-should-stash-5.html)

While I think I could get people to come to a new Meadowlands we also rely on customers at other tracks to wager on our product and if those tracks are not marketing the product there is very little that I can do to change that dynamic.

One suggestion, if we are truly interested in the long-term future of our sport, would be for the horsemen at the tracks that have slots to take five per cent of the slot money and use it to market the product with particular emphasis on bringing new and younger people to view the product.

I think this is a small sacrifice to make in order to ensure that the young people who work in our business have a future and do not find themselves without a career in 10 or 15 years. I know four of the five people that work on my two farms are in their early 30s and Jason is also in his early 30s and these people deserve at least a chance to make a career out of our great sport.

The way to grow the business is to give the 5% back in the form of takeout reductions. No marketing campaign is going to get young people to the track when the vig is 20+%, at least more than once. How do you bring new people to a shitty product?

[The_Knight_Sky]

The way to grow the business is to give the 5% back in the form of takeout reductions.




Mr. Gural understands that. Simply look at Tioga Downs - and the horsemen support Gural's takeout initiatives there.

At his other track Vernon Downs, the horsemen do not support lowering the takeout. Their days are numbered.

But what Mr. Gural is saying, the horsemen who are blessed with racino revenue should be taking an active role to preserve their livelihood as well as ensuring the future of their families who wish to work in horse racing many years from now.

And he's spot on!
The people near the racinos have to make an investment for the good
of the standardbred industry. In this case use the funds to bring in first timers to the track even if it means letting them play simulcast at premier venues like Meadowlands, Yonkers, Woodbine. Without these three healthy
racetracks the breed is doomed in the near future.

[Mineshaft]

The way to grow the business is to give the 5% back in the form of takeout reductions. No marketing campaign is going to get young people to the track when the vig is 20+%, at least more than once. How do you bring new people to a shitty product?






Agree 100%

[lamboguy]

The way to grow the business is to give the 5% back in the form of takeout reductions. No marketing campaign is going to get young people to the track when the vig is 20+%, at least more than once. How do you bring new people to a shitty product?the only thing i can add is that for your 20% you don't get much either.

you have it right

[The_Knight_Sky]

He's not trying to improve a weak racing product.

He's trying to cross-market his current racetracks with a flagship track like The Meadowlands. Without the horsemen's cooperation not much will be left of the standardbred industry. In short he's challenging the horsemen to come work with his already low takeout concept at Tioga and bring more positive waves.

While I think I could get people to come to a new Meadowlands we also rely on customers at other tracks to wager on our product and if those tracks are not marketing the product there is very little that I can do to change that dynamic

please read:
http://standardbredcanada.ca/news/2-8-11/gural-make-stakes-payments-slots-states-should-stash-5.html