How Racetracks could increase on track attendance - Page 2 - Horse Racing Forum - PaceAdvantage.Com

gm10 · 12-20-2009, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andymays

What's your solution?

If it's the Betfair way then let us know how we get there!

Betfair isn't going to be the magic bullet imo. It's a great betting medium, and I have no doubts that it could be big in the US as well, but you still need a fan base who will use it.

post time · 12-20-2009, 10:59 AM

With slots the attendance does increace but not the handle bet on horses because the total attendance is combined.

lamboguy · 12-20-2009, 11:18 AM

this is the same arguement over and over and over again.

20 years ago when i used to hustle a few riders around new england i used to watch the fair meets. they had a circuit of about 5 different fairs that comprised of horses that had run either at sulfolk downs, rockinham or finger lakes. they had 9 races a day with the purses all the same $2700. those fairs did well over $1million handles with the worst possible horses and no simulcasting of their product. the atendance was always over 10,000 people and they had the worst french fries had hamburgers that you could possibly imagine. yet it was an event where the whole family went and and enjoyed the day. when you sat in the stands you were right with the action, you had to wait until after the race to cross over the track to go to the infield.

the thing about those meets that struck me was there were lots of owners that owned horses. those people always showed up and brought their family and friends to the event.

today you have very large owners with eithter no family or no friends. and they hardly ever show up to watch their horses run. those people are racing in lower levels of the sport. they might have 3 or 4 horses to fit any lower rung condition at the track. when it comes time to enter for a race they put in the very best horse they have for the condition, and wait for another day for the other horses they have that fit. this only leads to smaller fields, you see these big guys have claimed the horses away from whatever little people that were left in the sport. the little guys become discouraged and eventually leave the game. the result is that the attendance is a complete blank. the last time i went to belmont race track they claimed the attendace was 2000 people, i didn't see to many in the place. i say 25 jock agents, grooms, hotwalkers, trainers and taxi drivers.

i know this is a different game today with most people sitting in their living room betting horses. but there has been nothing but declining handle's even with those tools that racing has.

does high takeout hurt? it certainly does, but that is not what's doing the sport in, its lack of interest in the game that needs to be adressed. how there could be lack of interest in the game is not so puzzling to me. it can be fixed, unfortunately the people at the top are complete dopes and can't see this.

johnhannibalsmith · 12-20-2009, 11:30 AM

Why is everything mutually exclusive?

High takeout is clearly a detriment to high volume players that may represent a small sect of the overall wagering population, but a disproportionately high precentage of total dollars wagered.

Poor on-track models and customer service are clearly a detriment to the procurement and retention of comparably low volume bettors that ultimately could and likely already do comprise the bulk overall patrons.

Fix both rather than establishing a 'pecking order' of WHAT is wrong with the sport. There are about 235,623,166.3462 things that could be improved, remedied, or discarded and very few of them are mutually exclusive. Rather than argue about the (one) thing that is dragging down the industry, how about concluding a means of efficiently incorporating solutions to a variety of issues and watch the snowballing successes of parlaying one improvement into another cohesively.

Viruss · 12-20-2009, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Horseplayersbet.com

and free betting vouchers might get newbies to experience the game.

I agree with this. The tracks need to take notice that they are no longer the only game in town.

Advertise in their local area newspapers (within a 50-100 mile radius).

Give out a free track program for every Saturday though out the summer. Actually delivered in the newspaper. So that its sitting around the house so people can have time to look though it. (Most people are intimidated by what the see, and don't know where to start.)
Inside each program have a free voucher for a $2 wps bet along with a free food voucher.

Again work with the Local newspapers to create handicapping contests that are free to the public that’s actually run by the newspaper. (It’s done every fall in our local paper for football coveralls, prizes are sponsored by local businesses.)

Each track needs to make educational sources available. Might it be a track handicapper giving a class on the race card as to how he made his selections for the day, booklets that explains the basic principles of handicapping,what ever it takes to give the new player a leg up.

Earl J

jballscalls · 12-20-2009, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Viruss

I agree with this. The tracks need to take notice that they are no longer the only game in town.

Advertise in their local area newspapers (within a 50-100 mile radius).

Give out a free track program for every Saturday though out the summer. Actually delivered in the newspaper. So that its sitting around the house so people can have time to look though it. (Most people are intimidated by what the see, and don't know where to start.)
Inside each program have a free voucher for a $2 wps bet along with a free food voucher.

Again work with the Local newspapers to create handicapping contests that are free to the public that’s actually run by the newspaper. (It’s done every fall in our local paper for football coveralls, prizes are sponsored by local businesses.)

Each track needs to make educational sources available. Might it be a track handicapper giving a class on the race card as to how he made his selections for the day, booklets that explains the basic principles of handicapping,what ever it takes to give the new player a leg up.

Earl J

there have been some good ideas in this thread, however I dont think people even read newspapers anymore do they? i know many are going out of business.

oddly enough our best results for getting new people out to the track have been advertising in the free weekly papers that are usually read by the younger crowds. We've seen a big growth in our younger crowd from advertising in these types of mediums, whereas when we used to advertise in the Oregonian (a traditional paper) we saw nothing from it.

getting the folks out to the races is just the first step, showing them a great time is the 2nd one. This is where a clean nice facility, good food, and great customer service comes in.

So much room for improvement. Where we as tracks are paying a steep price right now is that racing has for 30 years straight now not done the things necessary to build customers and keep old ones. So now we're trying to dig out of a hole that is realllly deep thanks to the old ways.

Kind of like our national debt being left for our kids to be payed off, gonna be tough!

Tampa Russ · 12-20-2009, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by post time

With slots the attendance does increace but not the handle bet on horses because the total attendance is combined.

Oh. I wonder why that is?

tzipi · 12-20-2009, 05:11 PM

Slots have not nor will they ever help fix horse racing.

"Fix racing and attendance" Get rid of 90% of the people running it now. It might be passed the point of no return. It's getting bad. Something big has to change and soon. Would love to see the old days back

sandpit · 12-20-2009, 05:50 PM

Easy fix: On-track Hooter's restaurants...or for that matter, any decent dining options that the general public is familiar with...how all these horrible food service vendors have monopolized their status on-track is beyond me. I know there are some exceptions on every menu, but by and large the crap is overpriced and underflavored.

tzipi · 12-20-2009, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sandpit

Easy fix: On-track Hooter's restaurants...or for that matter, any decent dining options that the general public is familiar with...how all these horrible food service vendors have monopolized their status on-track is beyond me. I know there are some exceptions on every menu, but by and large the crap is overpriced and underflavored.

You're telling me. The Nathans VALUE meals at the tracks in NY are like $9 to $10! It's crazy. I always laugh when I have to say value meal

Stillriledup · 12-20-2009, 09:38 PM

When you have a giveaway day, have employees at the exit gates giving out the giveaway after the last race is over. You have to stay to the last race in order to get the giveaway. I never seem to get my giveaway when i go because i don't want to carry it around all day, so i usually wait and then usually forget. This way, everyone who gets the giveaway item doesn't have to carry it around with them all day and the track gets the benefit of people having to stay for the last race.

fmolf · 12-21-2009, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gm10

Make it a respectable, family-friendly destination. That's the only way to attract a broad audience. And get rid of the medication. It's a PR disaster.

I believe people really do not care too much about takeout.All the people racing lost to casinos they lost because the casinos treat them much better.Nickel slots players get free drinks while playing!Beer at belmont at least $4....All casino players no matter what game they play build up comp dollars based on money wagered and/or time spent at certain level tables.Allowing players to accrue food an beverage comp points or to redeem them for handicapping tools is a start in the customer relations dept.My wife plays slots mainly and dabbles at roulette an black jack and i go on her name to a.c. free parking....free room..and at least one free meal thru comps accrued.I do get my drinks free in the simulcast room one drink for every $50 wagered.This can be circumvented by a nice tipo for the waitress on the first drink order.This is where the tracks lost because if they would have been more customer friendly when the casinos began stealing their patrons they may not be in the mess they are now!

Horseplayersbet.com · 12-21-2009, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fmolf

I believe people really do not care too much about takeout.All the people racing lost to casinos they lost because the casinos treat them much better.Nickel slots players get free drinks while playing!Beer at belmont at least $4....All casino players no matter what game they play build up comp dollars based on money wagered and/or time spent at certain level tables.Allowing players to accrue food an beverage comp points or to redeem them for handicapping tools is a start in the customer relations dept.My wife plays slots mainly and dabbles at roulette an black jack and i go on her name to a.c. free parking....free room..and at least one free meal thru comps accrued.I do get my drinks free in the simulcast room one drink for every $50 wagered.This can be circumvented by a nice tipo for the waitress on the first drink order.This is where the tracks lost because if they would have been more customer friendly when the casinos began stealing their patrons they may not be in the mess they are now!

You are right that most bettors don't care about takeout. But people do realize how long they last with a certain amount of funds. They have an idea how long $100 will last playing slots versus playing horses.....and this is something that determines where some will play.

Also, and I know I'm repeating myself, the longer a player lasts, whether it is horse racing, slots, or betting football, the higher the probability that they will spend more time at it. And when spending more time at it increases the probability that family friends and/or coworkers will get exposed to it.

I like Dexter, the TV show. A few years ago, I didn't watch the first 9 episodes of it. There was nothing on the tube, so I finally watched the 10th episode. Watching it made me go back and watch the first 9 episodes. Did it over two days.

Watched the second season looking forward to each episode.

Finally, in the third year, I made my wife watch it. She got hooked after a half hour. Now we watch each episode together. Looking forward to next weeks show (now unfortunately it will be a long wait as season 4 ended last week). Also, a few weeks ago, I got my mother to watch it....now she is hooked.

My point is that the more time one spends doing something they like, the more likely they are to get others close to them involved. Oh, and my other point is whoever hasn't watched Dexter yet, should start watching it.

tzipi · 12-21-2009, 03:53 PM

"Beer at Belmont is at least $4" Man,I wish

. Its over $6 a drink.

DeanT · 12-21-2009, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fmolf

I believe people really do not care too much about takeout.All the people racing lost to casinos they lost because the casinos treat them much better.Nickel slots players get free drinks while playing!Beer at belmont at least $4....All casino players no matter what game they play build up comp dollars based on money wagered and/or time spent at certain level tables.

FM,

If casino players do not care about takeout the casino's managing the slots would not have dropped takeout on the machines from 35% in the 1970's to the present day 6 or 7%.