Off Course Totes Comparison

I have now had time to get all the info, pics etc on how these work in USA. There is a huge difference in professionality between SA and USA.I will forward all the info, interviews and pics to Scotia and he can take it up from there.

Dave I suggest you also maybe get Hibs to do same in UK and I will go out in SA when I get a chance end Feb and lets get some pics of our local off course betting totes..especially those in areas like Witbank etc (unless there are others that could do it and send it to you before then).

On speaking to some of the off course tote managers who are taking up to 44 meetings a day with 22 dedicated channels..they are certainly not interested in taking SA racing..in fact they have no idea where SA is and coulnt care less.

When you see the pics you will see just how good an experience going to the tote can be and how easy it is to take a bet..whichever way you want..fixed odds or tote odds through same knowledgable friendly well equiped operator on the same machine ..maybe one of 30 depending on what area you in.

Anyway there is enough info for you and Hibs Dave to put together a good comparison of off course tote experience from 3 continents then..and then we can all see who is the more technically advanced operating country.

Believe me from what Ive seen so far there is no ways on this planet that USA punters would put up with this co-bungling.

Evening Oscar,happy to do anything i can,unfortunately there is not a lot of "Tote" shops in scotland.Infact im struggling to think of any,but im sure there is some.

You would not believe the state of the UK betting industry,shops closing down left right and centre, will take a few snaps of the shop i turn up at twice a week and a few local betting offices for comparisons..

If you want a bet on the TOTE in the uk,4500 betting shops are set up to link direct to the tote pools(we pocket the tote bets in our shop,but all bookies pay into the levvy board so the stakes are still topped up).

The placepot and the Scoop 6 and exacta are about the only bets uk punters take with the tote,been years since some one asked me for a tote win or place,infact you won`t catch many playing the tote for anything bar a few exotics bets and the small punters at the tracks,

You won`t beleive the state of some bookies in the uk,the shop i ran a few years back was a converted toilet(and they used to call me the big shit..lol)

morning Oscar and welcome back, will give you a call later today when back on land

Oscar, they may not put up with 'co-bungling' but they do put up with their 'pari-mutuel' method of calculating place payouts which essentially means they don't know what a horse will pay until they know the result.

Phumelela haven't gone and changed our system to theirs, have they? As far as I know, P do use the USA software.

Hi I have worked in betting shops in South Africa and the UK, UK betting is dominated by Bookies and exchanges, probably more by the exchanges than the bookies, the competitive of the market means that the punters are getting great value, and bookies have to bet at nearly 100% just to compete and get people in there shops.So that they can play the machines and virtual racing as thats where they make there real money. The Tote could never compete with with the market and is the third wheel of the industry and falling apart.

UK Tote, Note the roulette machines doing roaring trade!!

pic:scotia on tour

virtual racing and slot machines!!!!

not sure if some of the punters were aware of Cheltenham?

however nothing wrong with the quality of the shops but the staff complain about longer hours, sure a few shops will close, very few punters in the shops due to online punting I would guess?

Hibby`s day job

I popped into a betting shop in the High Street in Musselburgh this lunch time. Betfred is the name of the shop. It was clean and warm and they guy behind the desk was friendly as were the 5 punters in the shop. The carpet was spotless and the table tops clean with no lost betting slips strewn on the floor. The walls were covered with wood panel which gave the whole place a homely feel. All up to the minute betting and non runner info was available. It was a good experiance unlike when I went into Ladbrokes just 50 yards down the road. Dour and empty with two tables plonked in the middle of the room. The shop was clean and the cashier was also friendly.

Where are you located Hibs as I would love to take some money off you.

Got six people in here now,rushed of my feet

What I enjoy most about the betting shops in the UK is the lack of swearing and cursing when the horse that somebody has backed does not win. I hated it in the totes when some horse has not won and its "jou stupid naai" "Ek gat daardie jockey binnie in sy moer skop" and all the fiffing and cursing which makes it unpleasent. You made the mistake by placing your money on the horse that lost.Get over it you were the one that made the balls up not the jockey and certainly not the horse.

This shops in Newhaven and there is one in Easter Road, soon to be one in OxGangs,pop in anytime...