Blaming Racing Industry on TVG

[Dave Schwartz]

Simply put, fans that don't bet do not support the game. The industry does not derive revenue from them.

If you think that the business model is struggling now, what happens if the "fans of horse racing" take over the sport? LOL

IMHO the article is out to lunch. Enough so that I barely got past the title.

[Stillriledup]

Originally Posted by thespaah

Yes. Because TVG is owned by an online wagering company, the on camera talent is going to hawk the on line wagering facility TVG provides.
And what better way to accomplish that than to encourage wagers on more expensive horizontal wagers.

So you want your customers to lock up their cash into a pricey pick 5 ticket at 14 pct takeout rather than just releasing exactas in the first 5 races?

[rastajenk]

I think the writer is a chick who hasn't figured out who she's writing for. I think (s)he wants to have an edgy opinion, but is writing for readers for whom (s)he has to explain so much (in other posts I read) that they probably wouldn't recognize an edgy opinion in the first place.

I wouldn't be surprised if there are a lot of folks who work on the farms that are so invested in providing the sport with its athletes that they never get their heads around the gambling part. This could be one of them.

[Tom]

Originally Posted by Stillriledup

So you want your customers to lock up their cash into a pricey pick 5 ticket at 14 pct takeout rather than just releasing exactas in the first 5 races?

TVG is not a horse racing channel.
Their purpose is not to promote racing, only to make money.
Make THEM money, not you. They only want YOU to bet.

TVG is no HRTV.

[Stillriledup]

Originally Posted by Tom

TVG is not a horse racing channel.
Their purpose is not to promote racing, only to make money.
Make THEM money, not you. They only want YOU to bet.

TVG is no HRTV.

My point was that they're leaving money on the table by doing it the way they're doing it.

[BombsAway Bob]

Originally Posted by Stillriledup

So you want your customers to lock up their cash into a pricey pick 5 ticket at 14 pct takeout rather than just releasing exactas in the first 5 races?

Yeah,it's much better to stab at 2-horse exactas at 22.68% takeout rather
than ride along on a Pick-5 with a 14% takeout.
Bottom Line: If you're playing someone else's selections, Buyer Beware!

[Stillriledup]

Originally Posted by BombsAway Bob

Yeah,it's much better to stab at 2-horse exactas at 22.68% takeout rather
than ride along on a Pick-5 with a 14% takeout.
Bottom Line: If you're playing someone else's selections, Buyer Beware!

It's better for YOU. I'm talking about what's better for TVG, and releasing exas is better for them because of the takeout and people don't have their money locked up for 5 races.

[sharkie187]

Originally Posted by sandpit

Interesting, my wife and I were watching TVG Meydan coverage on Thursday (both home incapacitated by the flu), and she can't understand what the people who go to races in Dubai get out of it since they can't bet? I guess that's a good point, though I did tell her that I used to go to the track all the time and not wager (but that was only because racing officials were prohibited from gambling).

I was stationed in Turkey when I made my one and only trip to Dubai in 2009...let me tell you, it's a TOTALLY different world when it comes to racing. Its about the glamour and to be seen with and rub elbows with the stars/celebs that attend.
Yes, you cannot bet on the races per say. But there are always ongoing competitions where you pick a horse, and if it comes in, you are entered into a drawing for a prize. There's even a pick 6 competition where you pick one horse from the last six races and if you pick them all correctly, then again you are placed into a drawing for some luxury prizes.
In the huge grandstand, where you expect to see tellers, its just seating, food stands, and TV monitors. And depending on what part of the grandstand you are, there is also a bar but you strictly warned where you can and cannot drink and who cannot see you drink (esp locals).
What a lot of foreigners do (mostly the Brits, Irish, and Americans) is call in their bets to their bookie back home. It was pretty expensive for me to constantly call back to place my bet on Xpressbet since they only offered a 1-866 number whereas the British bookies offered a regular landline number. Apparently theres also an underground wagering system in some of the major hotels set up by the Brits, but that could just be a rumor. I only stayed at or near the track.

[thaskalos]

The author of this piece is no-doubt an idiot, who, even though he doesn't know the first thing about horseracing...insists on putting his uninformed opinion on public display...so all could see how thoughtless he really is. How a man like this is writing a horseracing-related blog is mind-boggling...and blogs like his do more "damage" to the proper promotion of this game than the TV horse racing channel that he rails against. There isn't a single point in his entire article that has even a speck of validity...IMO.

Our sport isn't NASCAR, and it can't be broadcasted as NASCAR is. When the races end in less than two minutes...there is no time for the announcers to be "more colorful as the race is going on". Nor is there much time for extensive interviews in-between races...because the next race is only minutes away.

He compares TVG to the football broadcasts...and blames the racing channel for "confusing" its viewers with all the numbers that are scrolling along the bottom of the screen. "Football doesn't do that"...he says. He forgets that football's existence doesn't rely solely on the wagers of its audience, as horse racing does. He also ignores the fact that the stock market channels have the exact same numbers scrolling on the bottom of their screens...and no one has ever blamed them for unnecessarily confusing their audience. It should be obvious even to the merest tyro that horse racing is a lot closer to the stock market in purpose and content, than it is to football and NASCAR broadcasting. And, what are those numbers that I see constantly scrolling along the bottom of my screen during football games? Aren't they the constant score updates of the other games...along with every conceivable fantasy football stat in existence? Isn't that too an example of the unholy alliance between gambling and sport?

And...since Mr. Witt appears to be a stickler for the "appearance" of things...I'd like to suggest to him that his very blog is in direct violation of his exacting "appearance" standards. The typeface of his blog is done using very weak lettering...which irritates the reader. Other blogs out there use bolder lettering...thus projecting a much more professional appearance.

[Tom]

Agree 100% on your take of Mr. Wittless!

BTW, 1945 called - they want their font back!

[castaway01]

Originally Posted by thaskalos

The author of this piece is no-doubt an idiot

You could have just stopped there.

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by castaway01

You could have just stopped there.

I expanded a bit...just in case he happens to see my post.

[mannyberrios]

Originally Posted by thaskalos

The author of this piece is no-doubt an idiot, who, even though he doesn't know the first thing about horseracing...insists on putting his uninformed opinion on public display...so all could see how thoughtless he really is. How a man like this is writing a horseracing-related blog is mind-boggling...and blogs like his do more "damage" to the proper promotion of this game than the TV horse racing channel that he rails against. There isn't a single point in his entire article that has even a speck of validity...IMO.

Our sport isn't NASCAR, and it can't be broadcasted as NASCAR is. When the races end in less than two minutes...there is no time for the announcers to be "more colorful as the race is going on". Nor is there much time for extensive interviews in-between races...because the next race is only minutes away.

He compares TVG to the football broadcasts...and blames the racing channel for "confusing" its viewers with all the numbers that are scrolling along the bottom of the screen. "Football doesn't do that"...he says. He forgets that football's existence doesn't rely solely on the wagers of its audience, as horse racing does. He also ignores the fact that the stock market channels have the exact same numbers scrolling on the bottom of their screens...and no one has ever blamed them for unnecessarily confusing their audience. It should be obvious even to the merest tyro that horse racing is a lot closer to the stock market in purpose and content, than it is to football and NASCAR broadcasting. And, what are those numbers that I see constantly scrolling along the bottom of my screen during football games? Aren't they the constant score updates of the other games...along with every conceivable fantasy football stat in existence? Isn't that too an example of the unholy alliance between gambling and sport?

And...since Mr. Witt appears to be a stickler for the "appearance" of things...I'd like to suggest to him that his very blog is in direct violation of his exacting "appearance" standards. The typeface of his blog is done using very weak lettering...which irritates the reader. Other blogs out there use bolder lettering...thus projecting a much more professional appearance.

You nailed it

[thespaah]

Originally Posted by Stillriledup

So you want your customers to lock up their cash into a pricey pick 5 ticket at 14 pct takeout rather than just releasing exactas in the first 5 races?

If you'd ask that question in another way other than starting it off with "so you want", I might be able to fathom a guess as to what it is you want to know.
I am just stating the facts. Not rendering an opinion or a viewpoint..

[Nitro]

Originally Posted by thaskalos

I expanded a bit...just in case he happens to see my post.

You're entire comment should be added directly to this guy's blog. (or if that's not possible due to its length then maybe just a link to this thread) I noticed there's an area at the bottom of the blog page for that purpose. Nice post!