Finally! The perfect way to get new customers!

[Richie]

Ah drinking and betting on the horses. Boy could I tell some stories. Well I was drinking pretty good at home on Saturday palying the CT OTB contest. I had turned my 100 into ~1500 and was in first place with about 3-4 races to go. Some guy jumped about a grand ahead of me, by that time I was in the ozone as I searched for another smoke, with one race left at TP, I found the horse at 27-1, I downed my 7 and 7, made the call 100 to win and was shut out, it cost me 4500 more and a trip to Las Vegas. Oh well, I hate to fly anyway.

[point given]

Originally Posted by Richie

Ah drinking and betting on the horses. Boy could I tell some stories. Well I was drinking pretty good at home on Saturday palying the CT OTB contest. I had turned my 100 into ~1500 and was in first place with about 3-4 races to go. Some guy jumped about a grand ahead of me, by that time I was in the ozone as I searched for another smoke, with one race left at TP, I found the horse at 27-1, I downed my 7 and 7, made the call 100 to win and was shut out, it cost me 4500 more and a trip to Las Vegas. Oh well, I hate to fly anyway.

Maybe if you didn't have the 7&7 you think you get the bet in ? OR could you only find the 27/1 with the aid of the 7 &7 ? What a downer ! " I coulda been a contenda ". Top o' the world ma !

[TEJAS KIDD]

Originally Posted by njcurveball

This is someone who knows racing!

They use to have some pretty good giveaways at ACRC. The attendance went up, the handle stayed about the same.

Many people would pay their $2 and get a cooler. Then go to their car, come back, pay another $2 and get another cooler. Same with hats or t-shirts, blankets, whatever.

A racetrack is not an impulse attraction for most people. Management would be much smarter rewarding their regular customers.

Now here is a very simple way to do it. On the last day of the meet, hold a "free" handicapping tournament. The track should put up $10,000 and whatever goodies it can find. An entry into the big tourneys in Vegas is also preferred.

How do you get a free entry? You win the daily tourney which is also free.

Run it with any format you like, just include the first and last races in it and you have some loyal customers coming through the turnstyles.

Think this won't increase handle? Any regular who stays up all night cappng the card is going to bet real money on those races. And sure it will attract some "tourists" as well. As long as the format isn't an "all in" one, the regulars should have a big advantage on them.

I've never understood why racetracks that hold qualifier's to the NHC tournament don't have meet long on-track tournaments to reward their loyal local players. It doesn't make sense for me to hold a tournament on one day, or over one weekend. Why not make it the whole meet. Why give the prize to someone coming in from another part of the country.
A lot of tracks have a tracking system built into the tote system. Why can't they issue tracking cards to their players, designate one or two SAM machines to tournament selections and let them play all season for the qualifying spots. Wouldn't that increase attendance and handle. If they were offering money on top of that, that would surely bring me to the track everyday.
Another thing that bugs me about the giveaway days, why don't they give away the products on the way out? Why would you want to carry an umbrella around with you all day? Or a cooler or a set of 4 beer mugs?
Issue the redemption tickets before the 1st race and up to the 3rd race but don't release the giveaways until after the 6th race. That way people that come in, have to stay for awhile and then they don't have to carry around the giveaway items until they are ready to leave. Doesn't that make more sense?

[magwell]

meanwhile we got no real action till wednesday.........

[Bruddah]

Originally Posted by TEJAS KIDD

I've never understood why racetracks that hold qualifier's to the NHC tournament don't have meet long on-track tournaments to reward their loyal local players. It doesn't make sense for me to hold a tournament on one day, or over one weekend. Why not make it the whole meet. Why give the prize to someone coming in from another part of the country.
A lot of tracks have a tracking system built into the tote system. Why can't they issue tracking cards to their players, designate one or two SAM machines to tournament selections and let them play all season for the qualifying spots. Wouldn't that increase attendance and handle. If they were offering money on top of that, that would surely bring me to the track everyday.
Another thing that bugs me about the giveaway days, why don't they give away the products on the way out? Why would you want to carry an umbrella around with you all day? Or a cooler or a set of 4 beer mugs?
Issue the redemption tickets before the 1st race and up to the 3rd race but don't release the giveaways until after the 6th race. That way people that come in, have to stay for awhile and then they don't have to carry around the giveaway items until they are ready to leave. Doesn't that make more sense?

I think this all points to most track mgmt. types concentrate on todays handle and turnstile counts. They don't use long term management objectives and strategies. This has become epidemic in todays business world, "the next quarterly financial report. There was a time when (in my day) experienced executives had two degrees. An MBA and MBO. You all Know what an MBA is, the latter (MBO) was Management BY Objective. This was a learned business skill before you were considered qualified for the Board Room. It took forward insight and thinking. Today the "Bean Counters" want to know what you have in the till today not what strategies will show profits for years to come.

[gIracing]

Originally Posted by Bruddah

I think this all points to most track mgmt. types concentrate on todays handle and turnstile counts. They don't use long term management objectives and strategies. This has become epidemic in todays business world, "the next quarterly financial report. There was a time when (in my day) experienced executives had two degrees. An MBA and MBO. You all Know what an MBA is, the latter (MBO) was Management BY Objective. This was a learned business skill before you were considered qualified for the Board Room. It took forward insight and thinking. Today the "Bean Counters" want to know what you have in the till today not what strategies will show profits for years to come.

great post!

[Semipro]

Originally Posted by john del riccio

I think free parking, admission, and program would be a better deal.


John

That won't make a fool and his money part more quickly.It's a market test to if more beer intake will increase handle/profit.

[point given]

Originally Posted by Bruddah

I think this all points to most track mgmt. types concentrate on todays handle and turnstile counts. They don't use long term management objectives and strategies. This has become epidemic in todays business world, "the next quarterly financial report. There was a time when (in my day) experienced executives had two degrees. An MBA and MBO. You all Know what an MBA is, the latter (MBO) was Management BY Objective. This was a learned business skill before you were considered qualified for the Board Room. It took forward insight and thinking. Today the "Bean Counters" want to know what you have in the till today not what strategies will show profits for years to come.

Next stop, zero based budgets. Oh what fond memories when i was found tobe more valuable than my boss . such rubbish, and he was kicked upstairs.

[46zilzal]

Whenever it rained over the season, we had to do our pre-race show in a studio indoors. Next to the studio is the board room where bull sessions would often be in full swing while I prepared the camera, audio and lighting. I would listen in quietly.

The constant debate was always on how to address their CORE market, except they could never quite decide just who that was as they constantly lamented the customer (who they viewed as merely watching) over the gamblers (who only needed some platform, upon which, to set down his money). Never a mention about the new fan and how to inform them of the game.

Seems an awfully narrow view of the current and prospective markets, but then again these are mostly "ivory tower" fellows not the ones who worked their way up through the ranks.

[Kelso]

Distribute the coupons early ... exchange for the promo items late.

Daily tournaments (with moderate cash prizes) leading to end-of-season tournament (for good prize money and Vegas entry).

[Bruddah]

any track managment types read this forum or thread. Let alone ask their unidentified customer base, what would make them turn out at the track.

They need to concentrate on rebuilding a fan base. It may take them close to 50 years, as it did Oaklawn. Nahhh! To stretch their thinking beyond the next quarter gives them migraines.

[TEJAS KIDD]

Why not host some amateur poker tournaments?

Free entry into poker tournaments, winners get Vouchers that they have to put through the windows.

The players just might discover there is another gambling game in town that's legal.

Originally Posted by TEJAS KIDD

Why not host some amateur poker tournaments?

Free entry into poker tournaments, winners get Vouchers that they have to put through the windows.

The players just might discover there is another gambling game in town that's legal.

If poker as a table game isn't legal in that state, you're not going to be able to pull that off, at least not with cash/voucher prizes.

The other idea in the thread of a meet-long on-track-only tournament is an excellent one. Put up some prizes, get people paying attention and showing up.

If that fails, go with the beer.

[tbioaj]

Hawthorne is having a guy's day on Friday. http://www.hawthorneracecourse.com/h...erthanksgiving