While it's encouraging to see renewed vigor at the NTRA its discouraging to reread the same old clap trap. Hopefully I misread one of A. Waldrop's posts where he(just back from Saratoga) wrote that the way to market racing is to get new people to the race track--the supposition being that some of them will become fans having been exposed to the excitement and glamor of racing. Reminded me of "Go Baby Go". Nothing ever changes, it seems.
I have always been puzzled why racing declines to advertise itself in two ways:
1. to the potential fans by advertising gambling--e.g. why do we fail to see on major sports websites a race tape with lettering emblazoned "PICK SIX AT MONMOUTH TODAY $240,000.00." Why are there so few carry over type bets--superfectas e.g.--that will get large pots which "could" be advertised?
2. On the owning side, why does the sport avoid the obvious ways to get new owners, which is to advertise owing racehorses as a small professional sports franchise that would attract ex-jocks, and then make the tracks owner friendly, i.e. trainer unfriendly?
What are your thoughts?
Marketing Racing
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ratherrapid
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ratherrapid
I have also wondered over the years why track management has not advertised the gambling aspect of the sport, to them it has always been taboo. As long as the handle and support money from slots keeps the purses high enough to draw horses, management will continue to let the show roll on, it is only when the handle declines to a break even level that they begin to worry about drawing in new fans. They seem to try to appeal to the family, bring the kids out for a day of racing. When what they should be doing is using the fact that the average field is down to 8 or 9 horses, even smaller than that, and just by picking a number, no handicapping involved, your odds of picking a winner are much better than any table game or slot machine. Black jack only pays 3-2, not a very good return considering the odds.
Some day management will wake up to the fact that gambling is the draw, not the kids in the park.
DDT
I have also wondered over the years why track management has not advertised the gambling aspect of the sport, to them it has always been taboo. As long as the handle and support money from slots keeps the purses high enough to draw horses, management will continue to let the show roll on, it is only when the handle declines to a break even level that they begin to worry about drawing in new fans. They seem to try to appeal to the family, bring the kids out for a day of racing. When what they should be doing is using the fact that the average field is down to 8 or 9 horses, even smaller than that, and just by picking a number, no handicapping involved, your odds of picking a winner are much better than any table game or slot machine. Black jack only pays 3-2, not a very good return considering the odds.
Some day management will wake up to the fact that gambling is the draw, not the kids in the park.
DDT