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Originally Posted by Jeff P
Go to any monthly CHRB meeting - or listen to the audio. Or sit through any of the CHRB's committee meetings.
You will be treated to a constant parade of speakers representing various Cal racing groups... TOC, CTT, CHRB, OTBs, track management, union reps, etc... all bemoaning the fact that handle is dropping - and as a result - revenue for the budgets of their particular organization keeps shrinking too - and the only 'solution' they can see is to cut dates, cut hours, layoff more workers, etc.
But try talking to them about anything customer oriented - for example suggest that maybe 22.68% exacta takeout might be a bit too much on the high side...
And suddenly they turn into cheerleaders -- and they will tell you how great things are.
I'm not kidding about this. I've experienced it many times.
I first experienced this phenomenon back in 2009 or 2010 at a CHRB meeting when I argued against a takeout increase at Los AL that Doc Alred wanted because he "didn't know what else to do."
I told them their revenue projections were flawed because they wen't accounting for the fall off in handle that would result from higher takeout.
Everyone from every one of the Cal Racing alphabet groups was sure that higher takeout has zero effect on handle.
I experienced this same phenomenon a few months later at Los AL at when the CHRB wanted a follow up meeting because Los Al's on track handle was down 26%-27% vs. the prior year because of their takeout increase. Yet Los Al track management was telling the CHRB "we couldn't be happier" and "we are doing just fine."
I experienced this phenomenon a few months later at a CHRB meeting at Del Mar - where despite Los Al's on track handle being down 26-27% in the 6 months immediately following their takeout increase - Los Al track management once again told the CHRB "we couldn't be happier" and "we are doing just fine" and the Commissioners of the CHRB voted unanimously to make Los Al's takeout increase permanent.
All you have to do to experience this phenomenon yourself is get involved.
-jp
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Do you see anything, anything at all, that can be said or done, to make these politically appointed guardians of the game see things properly, and then follow through with constructive actions? Is there any angle that can be taken that would overwhelmingly encourage these folks to actually move forward in a constructive manner to improve the health of the industry? Would boycotts actually work? Or, theoretically, it should work, but wouldn't? Are they uneducated, or just self-serving? Is it useless to think they even could be constructive, even if they embraced the actions that are needed? Or is this just a doomed enterprise, and maybe the best thing for themselves and those interested parties that support them to do is to look out for themselves while they have the power to do so? Would this industry survive a big "look out for the customer" effort on their part? Or would the industry collapse without the extraordinary efforts made on behalf of the horsemen's most banal and simple wants and needs? Do those parties require the support they receive to survive in the present environment, both specifically the horse racing environment, and in general, the overall gambling industry environment?
Thanks in advance. I know I threw a hodge-podge of questions and issues out there in a not so articulate manner.
And thanks for your interest and efforts in the game and best of luck in your endeavors. We need many, many more people like yourself involved.
