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Old 08-03-2014, 11:52 PM   #1
EMD4ME
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DONE WITH NYRA

As the 15th biggest player in NYRA's NYRA REWARDS program, I feel compelled to broadcast how much I went from an avid NYRA advocate to a NYRA hater.

It all started 3 weeks ago when Mr. Travers called the top players to his office to discuss the Saratoga meet. It started as a discussion about the meet & how we could keep the Belmont players club open. After 2 minutes, he cut us off and said: let me cut to the chase, the room will be closed and the only place you guys could play is aqueduct. I objected, as did many others. Aqueduct has a disgusting element to it. Its depressing, cold, damp, dark and oozes of parasites. Your belongings can be stolen in a nanosecond. You are asked for 2 bucks every 5 feet, there is no preferred parking and to top it off, there are no windows. Who wants to spend August in a closet???

We explained this to Mr. travers and he was rude, abrupt and obnoxious. I asked him if it was worth ticking off the top players/clients. His logic was we don't have enough machines for both Belmont and aqueduct. My logical response was, leave 8 machines behind at Belmont. He said no, all available machines will be at Saratoga. I countered his illogical and stupid comment with : why dont we take a handful of the machines that you want us to use at aqu and place those at Belmont? He hated my logic.

Next... as a business man, I asked this ignorant prick, what the opportunity cost would be to keep the Belmont players club open. He stuttered and hammered like frog horn leg horn did in Looney tunes. I answered for him. It cost electricity, which is on at Belmont anyway. It cost, a ten dollar an hour employee to man the desk (we all said we don't need a guard anyway, we'll police amongst ourselves). It costs air conditioning. So in a nutshell, it costs nothing as Belmont is already open for simulcasting and the ac and electricity are already on and paid for.


So we want to risk pissing off the top 50 horse racing handlers in the nyra rewards program, in other words, the top 50 ON HANDLE WAGERERS AT BELMONT/AQUEDUCT so you can force us to wager from dirty and decrepit aqueduct?????

Why does this matter to me personally? It might be irrelevant to you and to NYRA but I actually like to have a good customer experience. Belmont is gorgeous. I go to the beach every race day, leave at 12 from the beach and get to Belmont in time for the pick 5. That is essential in August. Aqueduct is in such a condensed area that between extra travel, 25 lights, stupid casino traffic and chaotic parking (I didn't point out the fact that at Belmont, VIP players have reserved up front parking. At aqueduct, its first come, first serve and go duck yourself Mr/Mrs VIP).

I am now forced to either go to the beach or don't bet horses. Well guess what, the horses lost on sunny beach days.

Today was the doozie of all doozies. Today, I decided, due to no sun, that I will bet the pick 5 at the SPA and not go to the beach. I took advantage, for the 50th time, of the new NYRA easy way of funding your account, moneygram. Belmont's players club is closed, I refuse to go to aqueduct out of principle so that was my only choice.

I made my deposit 46 minutes to post. I knew something was wrong as the money was not in my NYRA account. I called NYRA and had the pleasure of wasting a portion of my life on the phone with people who dont know their ass from their elbow. They told me they would call me back. I called money gram, they told me NYRA rejected it. I called nyra back, was transferred ten times and after 30 minutes found the same incompetent idiot who had to call me back earlier. To his credit he did call me back as I was talking to some innocent employee up in Saratoga (got transferred upstate by some idiot downstate). He said he had no clue what's wrong but I can try again later. really???? You're in the business of collecting bets. I made a deposit with you, I have a confirmation number and that's how you respond???

I quickly fly to CVS to buy a money Pak to fund my twin spires account. Due to being delayed by NYRA's incompetence, my deposit goes in too late and I miss a 10,000 score.

If the room was open, I'm at Belmont, betting in person, make 10,000. Due to their ignorant attitude, I have a miserable day and don't earn the 10,000 that I studied real hard for.

I hate NYRA and most importantly Steve Travers. After decades of being loyal, they will lose my handle and other player's handle as well.

Last edited by EMD4ME; 08-03-2014 at 11:56 PM.
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Old 08-03-2014, 11:56 PM   #2
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now that freakin sucks
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Old 08-04-2014, 12:04 AM   #3
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I have experienced it all as a 30 year player. Today was the day of days. I am calm. I am not angry. I simply clearly see how no one in charge at NYRA gives a hoot about their clients. We are just horse playing scum to them. I didn't even mention how on Saturday, as I was watching the Saratoga feed, I WATCHED AN ADVERTISEMENT OF SOME SORT OF HOSPITALITY SPOT UP AT THE SPA. Guess who was talking..... Steve Travers!!!! Ive heard from many people at the track how he is a real scum bag but I never cared to know why. I mind my own business, place my bets and go home. Now that I had 1 interaction with him, I see why all these people always spoke of him like they did.

Mr. Kay talks of a high customer experience. Let's see him try and walk around the main floor at Belmont and aqueduct on a day when Saratoga is running. hHHHaaaa...he would shit in his pants of fear walking around his facility..... never mind have a good customer experience.
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Old 08-04-2014, 12:08 AM   #4
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I do not miss the days of fighting traffic to get my DD bets in. ADWs sure have made it easier.
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Old 08-04-2014, 12:12 AM   #5
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True, if they work. I never mentioned how I have a surface 2 and NYRA rewards is the only ADW that freezes every 5 bets with my surface 2. So let's recap..... can't go to the track to bet, can't fund (still don't know why-isn't that so pathetic? They don't know why all client's money grams didn't go through, not just mine) my account and when my account is funded, their tech team can't help my freezing problem.
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Old 08-04-2014, 12:14 AM   #6
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sounds like a bad experience. One thing I was confused by in the original post was he said you guys had to go play at Aqueduct, but then you said later on that Belmont is opening for simulcast?

Is it a particular special room at Belmont they're closing but the rest of the place stays open?

Never been to Belmont so don't know the lay of the land.
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Old 08-04-2014, 12:21 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jballscalls
sounds like a bad experience. One thing I was confused by in the original post was he said you guys had to go play at Aqueduct, but then you said later on that Belmont is opening for simulcast?

Is it a particular special room at Belmont they're closing but the rest of the place stays open?

Never been to Belmont so don't know the lay of the land.
Great question, my fault. Belmont created a first floor simulcasting area for 7 day simulcasts. Hate to say it but you can barely walk 4 feet without being disgusted repulsed or smell someone. Same goes for aqueduct.

Belmont has a really nice players club for clients who wager 300,000 a year or more. It is manned by security, an attendant who is there for all your needs and all players know each other real well. It has assigned seating, you face the paddock (and the sun) and have glass windows not thick dark walls. If you feel like taking a walk to the back yard to tan between races, you can. If you want to walk to the apron and just hang out , you can. You can do all this while your belongings ($1000 lap top, notes, cell phone) are safe in that air conditioning sun filled room.

You don't have that feeling of security and comfort at the Aqueduct version of this room. Aqu is available via public transportation (subway and bus) and has that disgusting racino attached to it so it attracts all sort of scum.
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Old 08-04-2014, 12:23 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EMD4ME
Great question, my fault. Belmont created a first floor simulcasting area for 7 day simulcasts. Hate to say it but you can barely walk 4 feet without being disgusted repulsed or smell someone. Same goes for aqueduct.

Belmont has a really nice players club for clients who wager 300,000 a year or more. It is manned by security, an attendant who is there for all your needs and all players know each other real well. It has assigned seating, you face the paddock (and the sun) and have glass windows not thick dark walls. If you feel like taking a walk to the back yard to tan between races, you can. If you want to walk to the apron and just hang out , you can. You can do all this while your belongings ($1000 lap top, notes, cell phone) are safe in that air conditioning sun filled room.

You don't have that feeling of security and comfort at the Aqueduct version of this room. Aqu is available via public transportation (subway and bus) and has that disgusting racino attached to it so it attracts all sort of scum.
Gotcha. I'm always shocked how often people take pp's, food or other things on peoples tables in OTB areas while they're up. I once watched a guy go up and grab a slice of pizza of a woman's table while she was up making a bet.
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Old 08-04-2014, 12:28 AM   #9
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Ive been so spoiled by the nyra rewards rooms that I forgot what its like to be at the track in the normal areas. After being on the first floor of Belmont for 30 minutes opening weekend, I went home. I felt like I was at a homeless shelter. I couldn't place my tablet down for a second as it would be stolen. Never mind put a drink down.....

Make a bet?? Ha! Who could possibly concentrate with all the pick pockets walking around and peddlers asking for a cigarette or two bucks as your constructing $750 weighed out pick 6 tickets.

It's insane that they treat their top clients like this
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Old 08-04-2014, 01:11 AM   #10
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Right on!

I can see from your multiple long postings that you are "not angry."

I am not quite at your level of play yet, but I can envision how going from having "an attendant who is there for all your needs" to NOT having one is a huge, life-altering inconvenience.
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Old 08-04-2014, 02:14 AM   #11
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Right on!

I can see from your multiple long postings that you are "not angry."

I am not quite at your level of play yet, but I can envision how going from having "an attendant who is there for all your needs" to NOT having one is a huge, life-altering inconvenience.
You may enjoy the smell of urine and body odor as well as the risk of having items stolen but clearly the OP does not and is incredibly frustrated. I can't imagine have to pack up all my items if I wanted to place a bet or go to the bathroom without fear of having stuff stolen.

It sounds pretty darn frustrating from what has been experienced and I can empathize. The on-track experience is one of the reasons I stick to the home office.

...so while not the life-altering inconvenience that you sarcastically suggest, I'm sure it is a huge pain in the arse.

You put through greater than $300K in handle, they can do something for that $60K you are "giving" to the industry.
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Old 08-04-2014, 02:51 AM   #12
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You can't ever love the "suits" acting in this fashion, but i want to say that i think you need to keep separate the incident with "Dean" Travers and the inability of the customer service to process your money. Now, i guess that if you had gotten your money in there and hit for the 10 grand, you wouldnt be as mad at the Dean, but what he did is not something i agree with, you have to cater to players. What i don't understand is if he didn't care, why would he ask you and the others to meet with him? Why not just do what he was going to do anyway, i don't get why it was necessary to tell you to your face that you are going to be stuck in the corner (like baby).
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Old 08-04-2014, 03:19 AM   #13
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Customer service in EVERY conceivable corner of America has shrunk over the years to the putrid levels we all experience today. But in this case, you'd think money talks loud. Guess incompetent leadership trumps logic and reason.

Seriously, it's hard for a $10 buck a race lifer like myself to imagine your levels of play, but I can understand your valid feelings. Not even sure of solutions here. Almost wish the horse industry realized they and they alone have CHOSEN to die slowly instead of giving a shit and fought to market the greatest sport ever.

Retain your undying loyal fans(like OP and everyone here) by listening and reacting. Create growth by marketing the passion and excitement to the young people. And lastly realize that while ADW's have a large role in the success of racing, the live racing experience and the social gathering of the Off Track Parlors have still got to be above par activities. So that's my penny's worth. And for F sakes, get rid of the beggars and parasites.
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Old 08-04-2014, 04:39 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DelMarJay
Customer service in EVERY conceivable corner of America has shrunk over the years to the putrid levels we all experience today. But in this case, you'd think money talks loud. Guess incompetent leadership trumps logic and reason.

Seriously, it's hard for a $10 buck a race lifer like myself to imagine your levels of play, but I can understand your valid feelings. Not even sure of solutions here. Almost wish the horse industry realized they and they alone have CHOSEN to die slowly instead of giving a shit and fought to market the greatest sport ever.

Retain your undying loyal fans(like OP and everyone here) by listening and reacting. Create growth by marketing the passion and excitement to the young people. And lastly realize that while ADW's have a large role in the success of racing, the live racing experience and the social gathering of the Off Track Parlors have still got to be above par activities. So that's my penny's worth. And for F sakes, get rid of the beggars and parasites.
The track owners and the horsemen already have an image in their minds of what the "greatest sport ever" would be...and the horseplayer is an unnecessary and unwelcomed participant in it. It's an image of an ocean of intoxicated slots players merrily and mindlessly lining up to entirely take over the responsibility of funding the purses which necessitated the toleration of those aggravating and forever complaining horseplayers all these years.

For years they've wanted to get rid of us...but they didn't know how to manage it. Well, now they do...and they are not shy to tell it to our faces.
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Old 08-04-2014, 05:02 AM   #15
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Don't believe me?

"The problem are all the addicts and idiots crying because they lost a $2 bet, and then demanding a level playing field. It will never be a level playing field. There are a lot of things people don't know...and won't know."

"If you bet on horses, I would call you an idiot. I don't bet, there is a reason they call it gambling. I train to win and that's all I care about. It's not my problem (if the general public is deceived). They ought to bring in slot machines, then we could run our horses and make a living without worrying about some crybaby calling the stewards and raising a fit."

-- Jeff Mullins, 2005
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