The Problem with SA Racing

Soodum for once we on the same page

To get back to the topic "The trouble with SA Racing"

The problem is not an SA only problem but a global problem that stems from racing's background. The industry has never challenged itself to do proper marketing based on changing needs and current interests.

Historically racing has gone from being the only game in town, requiring little or no marketing to one challenged on multiple fronts with the biggest challenge coming from within. There are very few betting operators that truly believe in what they are selling which has led to tight budgets on the racing side with money rather channelled into other diversified operations. Diversification is a good thing for operators and players alike but if racing is to be subsidised in preference to also searching for racing solutions then our sport is doomed for sure.

This is very sad as quite a number of untried solutions are still there to be tested but with no belief in racing any new ideas is a real hard sell. The most underestimated element is the fun factor which is all but forgotten in new product development. When people get enjoyment from something and find the exercise entertaining the rest falls into place quite easily which has to be the primary consideration in product design.

We have all been punting for some time and have all forgotten what a hard game it is to get into initially from a skills perspective. We have to acknowledge this and think of new players if we are to attract a growing customer base. A long term reliance on churn has skewed development in favour of single race wagering products which most of us agree with but this does not allow new players to have an entertaining and affordable introduction to the game with no follow through because of this.

There is an odd relationship in racing between participation and spectator value with spectators seldom becoming players but with players almost guaranteed to become keen spectators. This is why we cannot rely on exposure at a few big annual race days to drive marketing efforts, participation has to be actively marketed. Grow the numbers, and not just turnover which is the current recipe, and the rest (media exposure,growing sponsorships and word of mouth gains) will fall into place.

We have a product called Scoreline which combines traditional wagering with social and leisure elements to produce a very entertaining game that will appeal to experienced players and the non-racing public.

To give you all a bit of background:

It has 3 elements: The top tier is a traditional Pick 8 (no fractional betting) that will allow rapid jackpotting to create huge pools and mega payouts that will stimulate a continuous new interest amongst non-players and current players.
The second tier offers a guaranteed daily payout using an unconventional points scoring system which pays the best player/players each day. There will be winners everyday regardless of what happens. A large percentage of the daily net pool is allocated for this purpose.
The third element is a periodic league that is offered for a pre-determined period of time with a percentage of events that needs to be entered to qualify. Players can enter at anytime as long as they are able to play the number of qualifying events. Very big winners will be created as 90 quarterly events will produce prize money of 9 times the normal daily pools(10% of net contributions to league) 1st prize 50%,2nd 25%, 3rd 12.5% and so forth.

As you can see from this there is zero elimination from the game and even your bad days will not be in vain as it will count towards league qualification.

There is a lot more to the game than mentioned here but these are the types of games that we believe could get a lot of new people involved and get them to commit and complete the learning curve for long term participation.

To get back to SA racing we should applaud the local operators efforts as it is a very expensive operation to run. Things are not perfect and could be a lot better but with limited resources we are actually getting a very decent product delivered to us. We need to improve the funding of racing not through squeezing every cent from the current customer base but through actively growing the customer base and restoring a belief in a racing portfolio.

I would rather say that the sport can do with more people of colour. It is currently "white" dominated but the approach to involve more races should be handled delicately.

Under no circumstance do I agree with what was said when this thread started but the guy (Dave) has got a few points. When Ntini was selected for the Proteas he surely didn't deserve it but with the opportunity he got he improved tremendously and eventually deserved his spot and formed an integral part of the team. Without exposure this was unlikely to have happen.

On the contrary... are there people of colour interested in doing these jobs? With a decent qualification, good head on the shoulders, an understanding of the sport, and training, I feel these jobs can eventually be filled by people of colour but they will need the right guidance from the experienced guys. We should all be equal and have equal opportunities.

NOT saying it IS a problem, but I'm sure it will bring more crowds to the course and don't see any harm in involving more people of colour...

The problem I have is that most people with "Masters Degrees" think that life owes them something over and above us plebs with normal degrees.
If you feel so strong about your point, you have more than enough opportunities to get involved. Unfortunately it normaly starts with mucking out the stables and that is way below your calling.
First bit of good advise from me to you would be to remove said boulder off your shoulder. It leads to a far more comfortable way of going through life. One breaths better, walks better, thinks clearer and you will find you might actually enjoy life.
All the best in your quest bud !

Lets not make racings challenges a colour issue as this is not the cause of racings problems as can be seen from similar problems experienced all over the world. I have no doubt that we have some prime people of colour that will fit the bill splendidly in terms of likely candidates for any of the top positions. Having certain qualifications might be helpful but in my experience it can only get you in the door, what you produce is what keeps you there.

Racing needs passionate people that love the game and if you look at the hours that the current management puts in I challenge anyone that doubts their commitment. New blood is useful in any company though and hopefully new appointments will see passionate and innovative people being appointed next to experienced staff. It will take hard working and creative people to take racing forward and I don't believe that colour will stand in the way of any knowledgeable candidate.

Racing = Passion
Passion does not have a color or creed - If the passion is there you will find a place in the sport regardless of your Race
If a person without ra Racing background is involved with decisions that affect the Game then the rot begins - I wonder how much of a Racing Background can be found at the Head of the Phumelela tree?

LSU Wrote:

---

> Lets not make racings challenges a colour issue as
> this is not the cause of racings problems as can
> be seen from similar problems experienced all over
> the world. I have no doubt that we have some prime
> people of colour that will fit the bill splendidly
> in terms of likely candidates for any of the top
> positions. Having certain qualifications might be
> helpful but in my experience it can only get you
> in the door, what you produce is what keeps you
> there.
>
> Racing needs passionate people that love the game
> and if you look at the hours that the current
> management puts in I challenge anyone that doubts
> their commitment. New blood is useful in any
> company though and hopefully new appointments will
> see passionate and innovative people being
> appointed next to experienced staff. It will take
> hard working and creative people to take racing
> forward and I don't believe that colour will stand
> in the way of any knowledgeable candidate.

So true - effectiveness is all that counts.Some of the nicest ,most committed,people I have met in business,have not necessarily been effective........as they say "its not the hours that you put in ,but what you put into the hours" that counts.

Should we still be posting under this thread considering that OP (original poster not Oscar Pistorius...) has been blocked ?? :S...he started other posters on this path but cannot contribute to the discussion continuing...or are there some point/s still worth discussing ??

TNaicker Wrote:

---

> Should we still be posting under this thread
> considering that OP (original poster not Oscar
> Pistorius...) has been blocked ?? :S...he started
> other posters on this path but cannot contribute
> to the discussion continuing...or are there some
> point/s still worth discussing ??

Those still posting obviously think so...................and LSU's contributions,I ,for one, am finding pragmatic and insightful,and without prejudice!

Meh.. Give me one BIG Corporate Company where Nepatism and i'll show u a Liar.

"The problem with racing..." is such an open ended question that it's impossible to even make suggestions that doesn't fill pages. The above posts are all valid. Often these things turn into wish lists from a past that is gone or a future that is just wishful.

One of the problems with the problem is that there are a few quite separate groups of interests, and it is very hard for one group to help or fix another. Each has their own agenda or needs and wants, be they owners or trainers or punters. We often make the mistake of just saying each group "needs" each other as if that is a real lever that can be pulled, but it's pretty much like saying a bank needs a floor. It does, but thats not going to get you far in the market developing dept.

We often use the idea of a circus to ridicule the operators, but a circus is a brilliant metaphor of the game because the pieces fit quite well. Trainers are trainers, owners own or invest in the acts, the ring master is the operator and they all have an interest in the tent. But the punters are the spectators, the customer who brings the money to the till to pay the trainers and give a return to the investors, and that is really who all the others really "need".

The thing is, betting, or gambling. Vice is a really, really hard thing to market because the people who want it know where to find it and the people who don't want it, find it foul. Many, many people believe with utter conviction that spending money above a few Rand is idiocy, or sinful or without moral fibre. It is no surprise that gamblers often come from "communities" who accept it as okay. The primary example would be Chinese, and here locally every province has certain communities who embrace horseracing and/or gambling more than others. I don't know if horse racing will ever overcome it's colonial roots in Africa, I have never got the feeling that African countries will reach out for horse racing if/when they come well, unlike China for example.

The wealthiest people I have met in racing do not gamble, their interests had nothing to do with punters or stakes. Many owners I have met, and I've met a lot, did not gamble or worry too much about stakes. So marketing the game is really difficult. It's a passion like skydiving, or surfing, or sailing, or maybe even drinking or drugging. Marketing it and getting a "growth" response is hard.

Some great inputs guys (tu)