Betting menu discussion

[Andy Asaro]

Originally Posted by AndyC

It seems so obvious to you that mismanagement was/is the cause of all problems regarding racing. With your 20-20 hindsight, walk me through the steps that should have been taken by these industry leaders who have had their heads in the sand.

How many of the Players Panel suggestions did they ever implement?

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by AndyC

It seems so obvious to you that mismanagement was/is the cause of all problems regarding racing. With your 20-20 hindsight, walk me through the steps that should have been taken by these industry leaders who have had their heads in the sand.

And if I do that, Andy...what will I have gained for my effort? Don't you think that I've addressed these things on this board before? Do we have to talk about the same things over and over again?

Racing held a gambling monopoly in this country...and prospered for more than a century. Yes, competition moved in...but this game continues to be the most convenient form of legalized gambling in the land. People are abandoning it in droves because it is currently a lousy gamble for the vast majority of the players...and yet, the industry has taken no significant steps to improve the image that people currently have of this game.

The takeouts remain at their highest levels...even as the racetracks are sitting on mountains of casino-generated profits. The field sizes are ever-shrinking...but more racetracks are opening at the same time -- to make this problem even worse than it really is. The players are asking for rebate information...but the industry is still tight-lipped about this touchy topic -- because they want to keep the "average players" in the dark about this...so they could keep paying the exorbitant takeouts that they are currently paying. And the slap-on-the-wrist fines and the pseudo-suspensions are still in force...along with the teletimer malfunctions and the controversial steward decisions...to infuriate the long-suffering fans even more.

Yes...in retrospect...what possible course of action could have been taken by the "management" of this game...in order to improve things?

[Andy Asaro]

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[Jeff P]

The NTRA Players Panel Recommendations can be found here:
http://www.horse-races.net/library/a...-ntrapanel.htm

NTRA Players' Panel Recommendations

The following pages contain policy recommendations made by the NTRA Players’ Panel after studying several subjects of serious concern and importance to the customers of horseracing.

There are eight areas specifically addressed in this document. They are:
Integrity of Pari-mutuel Pools/Late Mergers
Pari-mutuel Takeout Rates
Taxation
Rebate Policies
Arbitrary Transfer of Wagers to the Favorite in Multi-Race Wagers Following Late Scratches
Integrity of Entries/Late Scratches
Customer Service
Uniform Medication and Drug Testing

According to the article at the link The NTRA Players Panel was commissioned 14 years ago in 2003.

IMO these recommendations were not only GOOD - but a quick read suggests that the panelists themselves possessed a crystal clear understanding of specific critical areas where thoroughbred racing's decision makers (track management, horsemen, racing commissioners, and politicians) keep coming up short time and time again.

In the 14 years since these recommendations were made: thoroughbred racing's decision makers (track management, horsemen, racing commissioners, and politicians) have not only failed to adopt these recommendations...

They have in many cases done the opposite - and achieved results that were well... predictably terrible.

I submit to you the idea that not adopting these recommendations has accelerated thoroughbred racing's downward trend.

I also submit to you the idea that had racing's decision makers (track management, horsemen, racing commissioners, and politicians) adopted these recommendations instead of ignoring them:

We might not even be having this discussion.


-jp

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[HalvOnHorseracing]

In my experience, the idea that racing executives have greater knowledge and therefore are far more likely than the general public to make the best decisions is belied by having a conversation with some of them. If that isn't enough when you look at the recommendations from the Players' Panel, there are very few that were technologically difficult to implement or would create some perceptible disadvantage for the track.

Arguing that their great insider knowledge made them capable of knowing that most of the recommendations were unnecessary (pick your own word if you don't like that one) doesn't make great sense to me.

I'd ask this question. What have racing executives done that has turned the tables for the sport?

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by HalvOnHorseracing

In my experience, the idea that racing executives have greater knowledge and therefore are far more likely than the general public to make the best decisions is belied by having a conversation with some of them. If that isn't enough when you look at the recommendations from the Players' Panel, there are very few that were technologically difficult to implement or would create some perceptible disadvantage for the track.

Arguing that their great insider knowledge made them capable of knowing that most of the recommendations were unnecessary (pick your own word if you don't like that one) doesn't make great sense to me.

I'd ask this question. What have racing executives done that has turned the tables for the sport?

The question needs to be rephrased. Are you implying that the "racing executives" have accomplished something of some significance?

[cj]

Originally Posted by cj

Couldn't agree more. I try to watch every day, but most of the weekdays I wind up finding something else to do.

Today has been about as bad as I can remember. Every race seems to have an odds on favorite and they are all winning. And this is a Friday, not a Monday or Tuesday. It is awful.

[dilanesp]

The funny thing about this discussion is we live in an era where someone who looked from afar and said "I can do that better!" is finding out things are tougher than they looked is being demonstrated every day.

[Jeff P]

Originally Posted by dilanesp

The funny thing about this discussion is we live in an era where someone who looked from afar and said "I can do that better!" is finding out things are tougher than they looked is being demonstrated every day.

I'm sorry.

Exactly in which post did this happen?

Because when I read through the posts in this thread:

I am seeing the exact opposite.


-jp

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