Virtual Racing is the great Threat to our Industry

[Black Kirrama 1,513]

My recent experience  in a Melbourne TAB appalled me.

Virtual Racing.

Dont let it happen here.

Races  with virtual Dogs  and  Horses.

Eight starters per virtual race with pathetic names  like

" SunLined, FarLap, MainBrach, Makabedevil: Unsaintly: Think Bigger:

 Oaks Day loomed the next day and I wanted a bet on Graysful Glamour  at fixed odds .

As you do I observed the clients, surroundings.

Terrific staff. High definition screens.  12 or so  20 to 40 year olds watching  sports betting screens.

15 or so seniors backing Virtual Races .I think Keyton races were on that day with a decent Quaddie Pool.

The Lovely manager of the TAB told me her weekly turn over was  at least 15 % on quick bets on Virtual Races.
Her percentage advantage per Virtual Racing bet was 0.25% better than Actual Racing .

This is terrifying for NZ Racing.

 

[gubellini 4,004]

Rev I think Berri tried to get something similar off the ground many years ago in NZ. Perhaps he can refresh my memory. Thanks in advance Berri.

[Richmond Tiger 49]

at least the virtual jockeys all ride their mounts out and, as far as im aware, none of them have been smoking meth 

[Red Rum 1,833]

18 hours ago, Black Kirrama said:

My recent experience  in a Melbourne TAB appalled me.

Virtual Racing.

Dont let it happen here.

Races  with virtual Dogs  and  Horses.

Eight starters per virtual race with pathetic names  like

" SunLined, FarLap, MainBrach, Makabedevil: Unsaintly: Think Bigger:

 Oaks Day loomed the next day and I wanted a bet on Graysful Glamour  at fixed odds .

As you do I observed the clients, surroundings.

Terrific staff. High definition screens.  12 or so  20 to 40 year olds watching  sports betting screens.

15 or so seniors backing Virtual Races .I think Keyton races were on that day with a decent Quaddie Pool.

The Lovely manager of the TAB told me her weekly turn over was  at least 15 % on quick bets on Virtual Races.
Her percentage advantage per Virtual Racing bet was 0.25% better than Actual Racing .

This is terrifying for NZ Racing.

 

Its been going years  racing at  Portman Park and Steeplechase Downs great venues. In fact far better catering and newer surroundings than a lot of courses here. William Hill and Ladbrokes shops showing those in UK have  free hot beveridges hot choc, coffee,   tea , clean carpets , up to date big screens and value and varied betting options.  Well priced vending machines with large selections. Friendly staff , clean seats . What's not to like.

Zero animal welfare concerns , no carbon belching horse trucks,  no cancellations mid meetings etc etc  , it's the way of the future.

They are apparently building a new track here that's for preparing horses for sale to Asia or racing in Oz with minimal facilities for race goers so in effect we are heading for virtual racing by default just watching the best overseas on TV anyway, they don't want true race goers no more with a true  love of racehorses.

[Ohokaman 5,844]

John Allen is excited about it obviously...

With Betting revenue only up 0.8% while Gaming is up 9.1% not hard to see why they will take it on.

 

[Catalano 951]

Online sports is huge, and it doesn't take a huge leap of imagination to get to the point where you have virtual horses created with random physical & mental traits that they have 'inherited' from their virtual parents. Trainers will have to try to get the best out of these virtual horses with combinations of different types of work, feed, and stable conditions, and then you will have jockeys (pimply youths in darkened rooms on comfy gaming chairs) controlling them under race conditions.

There's already games out there that do this. The new generation is only interested in real horses once a year, but they'll watch this rubbish all year.

The Greens will eventually win, the greyhounds are going to be on the wrong side of history soon, and then they'll get the momentum to severely curtail, or cancel, thoroughbred racing with actual horses forever - I give it 10 years.

Like the demise of newspapers and programmed TV - if you can see it in the future, it's already here.

I dunno, maybe I'm a bit grumpy 'cause I haven't finished my Xmas shopping yet...

[Richmond Tiger 49]

I wonder if Brent Wall could fix a virtual race??!! Now theres a challenge! 

[gubellini 4,004]

Steady on Richmond Tige. Brent hasn’t been convicted of anything yet.

[Red Rum 1,833]

13 hours ago, Catalano said:

Online sports is huge, and it doesn't take a huge leap of imagination to get to the point where you have virtual horses created with random physical & mental traits that they have 'inherited' from their virtual parents. Trainers will have to try to get the best out of these virtual horses with combinations of different types of work, feed, and stable conditions, and then you will have jockeys (pimply youths in darkened rooms on comfy gaming chairs) controlling them under race conditions.

There's already games out there that do this. The new generation is only interested in real horses once a year, but they'll watch this rubbish all year.

The Greens will eventually win, the greyhounds are going to be on the wrong side of history soon, and then they'll get the momentum to severely curtail, or cancel, thoroughbred racing with actual horses forever - I give it 10 years.

Like the demise of newspapers and programmed TV - if you can see it in the future, it's already here.

I dunno, maybe I'm a bit grumpy 'cause I haven't finished my Xmas shopping yet...

Nailed it , look around a course on normal day , look around a tab on a Saturday , most me included nearer the end than the start. Not many youngsters in city understand , want to understand or remotely interested it's a demographic time bomb that will eventually do for the game .As much as I do not understanding or have any interest in " gamers" they are the same with racing It will just be that track at Cambridge , getting them off the farm up and running for Asia , be no different than exporting milk and who stands there watching milk powder produced for fun.