A New Idea
 

I was just thinking about how our treasury is bare bones..
I think it is about time to look at fundraisers...
We are for the most part handicappers...How about a members only handicapping contest with a percentage of entry fees going into our treasury to fund necessary expenses. I know the officers went to Keeneland on their own dime to discuss our case with management...
How about a $40 entry fee? With a percentage going into the
HANA treasury....say 8 to 10 percent...payoffs to be spread
to allow for more people to get their money back.
Open to suggestions like weekly-monthly etc.
It would encourage membership growth and fund our efforts..
Winners could get their name recognized as best of the
best....Tell me what you think..

Stuball

I'm not sure about the legality - I'd want to check that first.

Legal??
 

I don't know about legal Bill..That is for the legal expert as to the hows and whys. I am just an idea man....Idea men are scatterbrains..LOL :jump: :jump: :jump:

:D

Keep 'em comin'

I think it is a great idea. Cary Fotias also made that suggestion to us when HANA was first forming. However, your twist of using some of the proceeds to fund HANA is an excellent idea.

HANA has at least member who is an attorney and might be able to give an opinion or help structure the contest so it is legal.

HANA could also pay out all money and ask that the winners start a new custom -- donate a share of their winnings to HANA. It would not be mandatory -- just a nice gesture on the part of winners.

I think it is a real good idea too. It might be a pain to set up though (software to determine winners could be done manually I guess, but getting entry fees on time or being set up to do so may be difficult). And I think the entry fee needs to be reduced a bit, to maybe $20.

I seem to recall that their was an easy(and I assume free because the contest was free) handicapping contest platform here on pa.

Because that's exactly what happened here.

Getting back on topic - Stuball, I REALLY LIKE the idea of a HANA sponsored handicapping contest. And I LOVE the idea of an ongoing series of contests. I think it could be a great way to create interest and drive membership. And if done right, who knows how much it might grow going forward?

To that end we are looking at the legal end right now just to get it out of the way. There are a LOT of rules that have to be followed. First, there's a difference between free contests and contests where entry fees are involved. And free doesn't always mean zero entry fee. Some courts have ruled that if the process asking for information from contestants up front is too extensive (it's a fine line) then you're not running a free contest because time involved on the part of contestants is worth money. Then you have to structure the contest in such a way that it's a competition based on skill and not luck. If too much luck is involved then you can fall into the trap of running a sweepstakes or lottery. Again, it's a fine line that must be walked. And just like ADWs, contests are legal in some states and illegal in others. So depending on state of residence some HANA members might not be able to enter.

All that said, I STILL REALLY LIKE the idea and it's very likely we'll move forward with it. To that end it's also looking like we'll have our own web based contest software - hopefully in time for the Breeder's Cup.

So YES, it's very likely you'll see a series of HANA sponsored contests in the not too distant future... details such as entry fee and prizes - yet to be determined.

BTW, Ken, I like your suggestion about shoes worn by stakes winnners provided they're easily obtainable. There are probably a lot of creative racing related things that could be offered up as prizes.

Keep the good ideas coming.


-jp

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Count me in.

Would love to hear suggestions related to contest format.

Straight WIN?... WIN PLACE?... Exotics?... Live Bankroll?... Capped Payoffs Y/N?

Let us know.


-jp

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Format
 

I would prefer $2 Win-$2 Place. Example 12 races total--8 designated = $32
4 choice races from designated tracks...$16
Wildcard Win bet $4 on 1 race on any of the above races $4
must be used before your last race bet.
Total bet amount $52 To simplify matters you either bet the money or you lose it.

This is a starter idea. Any suggestions are welcome..
We would need the proper software to handle the choices.

Stuball :jump: :jump:

Standard contest formats have seemed to gravitate to WP with a cap of 20-1 Win and 10-1 Place.

I like the Gold Coast twist of the first 10% at track odds and capping the last 90% of each bet. (i.e. with a $20 W/P format - $2 @ track odds and $18 capped)

Sounds like unneeded extra math to me.

Great idea, count me in. $25 entry fee should be fine although I'm not opposed to $40 or $50. The higher the entry fee you can get, the more $ for prizes and HANA.

I'm sure you will get 100 different suggestions for the format from 100 different players, but as I have never entered any handicapping contest, all i can say is that picking the winner is the true test of a handicapper :ThmbUp:

How about a different format/emphasis each time
 

Potential software nightmare, believe me, I know.

But, how about a different emphasis every time. One time could be about number of winners/consistency. Another about ROI/quality of winners. Another be a pick a longshot contest. Or how about one which is measured on best paying exacta or tri or super.

Maybe a maidens only contest or a turf only contest, or a rubber track only, or a bottom level claimer contest etc. Mix it up and have something for everyone at some point. The more formats, the more contests you can run.

Run a contest every week or every month. Hype them to the media. Use the contests as a draw to join HANA (restricted to members only) as well as a fundraiser for HANA.

How about team contests? Maybe East vs West? Or even Libs vs Cons :lol:

How about old folks against youngsters or men against women. Or old men against young women?

How about a freezeout with a set schedule of races that MUST be played. Miss and you are out. Last one standing wins

I suppose we would need a contest CZAR?