The leisure RAND - how do you spend it.

Don wrote: ok, point taken. I think however part of the problem is the pricing on course, and the need of the operators to entice 'ordinary leisure visitors'. Ordinary leisure visitors are not going to pay R300 at a table for a sit-down meal upstairs somewhere. They want to be on the lawns, grab a decent quick meal for no more than R50, and spend about R150 on small bets. If they bring their families, the price per head expenditure needs to drop. Facilities and offer need to be made available for this so as to compete with where else they could spend their 'leisure Rand', or for that matter, staying in (home).

I think you are spot on - Casual turnover is needed rather than "problem gamblers"

The casual visitors ,unless they bet,are no benefit to the industry.............the money spent on food and drink is outsourced as far as I know!
I, as a punter ,find it so much easier to race from home as I use my PC and do it all online, including any International value I can find.
I have not been on course for a long time but the last time I did attend there was no ability to do all that (even the 3G reception was bad on the laptop!
Is the idea of getting PUNTERS back to the racecourse just a pipedream .............and will it make a significant difference to the financials?

rob faux wrote: The casual visitors ,unless they bet,are no benefit to the industry.............the money spent on food and drink is outsourced as far as I know!
I, as a punter ,find it so much easier to race from home as I use my PC and do it all online, including any International value I can find.
I have not been on course for a long time but the last time I did attend there was no ability to do all that (even the 3G reception was bad on the laptop!
Is the idea of getting PUNTERS back to the racecourse just a pipedream .............and will it make a significant difference to the financials?

Rob what I'd do is to provide a "betting hamper" - food and drink included, and Computaform Express with betting vouchers so you are forced to bet

No I don't think the idea is solely to get punters back to the tracks. The brand ItsARush is trying to get social/casual visitors to the tracks - as a social experience. Racing's thrust is really then built on the back of that - expose casual visitors (across various bands of income) to understand and hopefully become interested in racing, and cultivate a culture which includes a following of racing (much the same as there is a following of rugby/cricket in South Africa, if you so wish). Whether that is armchair, at the totes, on the course, festival based, small race days, big race days, in the building on floor 4, on the lawns.

To achieve this, racing must be a visible, trustable product, good value, deliverable, and, affordable. Otherwise you may as well just go for a scrumptious lunch at the wine farm adjacent to Durbanville racetrack and watch the ducks swim on the pond.

Don,I have no problem with the concept,however, The Cape Met had to be closed to the public in some years and the financials suggest they have never converted a single guest.
We still see big crowds on select days,but is there any evidence it converts to punters/punting.
I have yet to hear of any good idea of how to achieve that!

quite right Rob - the conversion factor. The only way you will get that is if some degree of understanding is achieved, which fosters engagement. We need the press,radio and social media for that.

I suggested years ago that u have full computer rooms on track ok before we got all these fancy phones and attract the yuppies / traders but it was based on us having a legal exchange with in running facilities but I am a bit like Jethro Tull ( living in the past) or future?
However I think SA is well down the drain at this stage we don't have water or post so racing might not be a priority to the masses

rob faux wrote: Don,I have no problem with the concept,however, The Cape Met had to be closed to the public in some years and the financials suggest they have never converted a single guest.
We still see big crowds on select days,but is there any evidence it converts to punters/punting.
I have yet to hear of any good idea of how to achieve that!

I feel that at such a large meeting a portion of the entrance should be given back to the visitor as as betting voucher - You need to "force" the bet - I've taken many ladies to the races and normally the only way to get them to take a bet is to pay for it yourself based on their selections and then give them the ticket. Much like the vouchers you used to get when you went to Sun City

and then some, you will never convert every visitor in any case. Some will, even armed with enough knowledge, prefer to stay a social butterfly - my guess is in excess of 60%. But finding that mid-point - the remaining 40%, and finding a greater base to build it from, is what ItsARush's goal is. First step is to impart to the general public the understanding of what horseracing is, what a racehorse is, and to come see for themselves.

If they visit, the facilities offer must be of standard, standard equal to the competition, at least.

Rob there is an NFL stadium with seats with built in wifi and 4g and an app for ordering food straight to your seat...

see racings problem?

how much does it cost to go see the Pirates or the chiefs playing?

try going to watch a rugby match. I got myself a ticket for the Scotland v All Blacks in `November for one of the cheaper seats £70.00 crazy but its worth it just for the atmosphere and to sing Flower of Scotland and then to say ' I was there the day Scotland beat the current world champions'

test match rugby about R175 per ticket - am I correct?