RaceCafe..#1...Tipsters Thread.... Share Your Fancies For Fun...Lets See Who The Best Tipsters Here Are.
Barry Lichter

Lincoln Farms boss slams RITA

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Allen’s salary last year was nearly $700,000, $230,000 more than Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s $471,000.And 10 of the TAB’s senior managers were on $250,000 or more, earning the same, or more, than government ministers.

The above should be listed in the 'Worlds top 100 crimes' 

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To be fair Pam the Racing Board and RITA spun that much crap at the Industry I guess it was hard for many to decipher fact from bullshit when they only had figures spin doctored to them and not actually able to view the true financial situation as well as costs of major projects.

2019/20 RITA statement of intent includes:

OUR PURPOSE Lead and deliver a programme of change over the next twelve months to transition the New Zealand racing industry to a financially sustainable future.

KEY RESULTS • Delivering the Minister’s significant legislative agenda • Reshaping the TAB to improve efficiency and be more commercially focused • Realising new revenue streams • Increasing distributions to the codes and thereby growing prize-money which pays owners, trainers, jockeys and drivers

Deliver on the government’s intentions by taking decisions in the commercial interests of the industry - considering the long term vision for a revitalised and sustainable industry, where participants are valued and able to prosper (ha ha good one) and the industry contributes to its full potential for the benefit of the New Zealand economy.

Read and weep.

https://www.rita.org.nz/sites/default/files/documents/SOI_2019_Report_RITA_FINAL%401101.pdf

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The Racing Board has a 5 year and 10 year contract with Paddy Power and Open Bet  regarding the new betting platform with the ongoing costs associated at $17 million.

If the NZ TAB decide to outsource their gambling to overseas as was mentioned in teh Messara Report to consider they are stuffed as the clowns who signed the contract between the TAB and the above two parasites must relate to this mention in the TAB Annual Report:

 A contract is considered non-cancellable for any period where either no cancellation provision exists in the contract or where the requirements or costs of cancellation are so significant that cancellation of the contract is remote. Non-cancellable contracts held by NZRB predominantly comprise technical services associated with the broadcasting of racing plus telecommunication services and fixed odds betting platform

 

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2 hours ago, LightsOut said:

The Racing Board has a 5 year and 10 year contract with Paddy Power and Open Bet  regarding the new betting platform with the ongoing costs associated at $17 million.

If the NZ TAB decide to outsource their gambling to overseas as was mentioned in teh Messara Report to consider they are stuffed as the clowns who signed the contract between the TAB and the above two parasites must relate to this mention in the TAB Annual Report:

 A contract is considered non-cancellable for any period where either no cancellation provision exists in the contract or where the requirements or costs of cancellation are so significant that cancellation of the contract is remote. Non-cancellable contracts held by NZRB predominantly comprise technical services associated with the broadcasting of racing plus telecommunication services and fixed odds betting platform

 

Yes. But insolvency or statutory management might void that? Probably the only option?

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3 minutes ago, TurnyTom said:

NZ Post and DIA ask the same question

My wife's best friend for the last 45 yrs worked with JA , she's a real smart cookie  , won't say which organisation , took 2 employment grievences against him , won both , quit after second . She says he is completley incompetent and was out of his depth in the business world .

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It is effectively under management now preparing for transition to a new body TAB NZ.

There may be substantial claims that the NZRB was sold a system "not fit for purpose" and the suppliers were negligent and caused losses to NZRB.

Would be hard for them to justify on going agreements as they have not shown the ability to perform.

The fixes have just taken far too long.

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2 hours ago, LightsOut said:

The Racing Board has a 5 year and 10 year contract with Paddy Power and Open Bet  regarding the new betting platform with the ongoing costs associated at $17 million.

If the NZ TAB decide to outsource their gambling to overseas as was mentioned in teh Messara Report to consider they are stuffed as the clowns who signed the contract between the TAB and the above two parasites must relate to this mention in the TAB Annual Report:

 A contract is considered non-cancellable for any period where either no cancellation provision exists in the contract or where the requirements or costs of cancellation are so significant that cancellation of the contract is remote. Non-cancellable contracts held by NZRB predominantly comprise technical services associated with the broadcasting of racing plus telecommunication services and fixed odds betting platform

 

Statutory management will null-in-void all contracts. But you have got to be careful that you don't jump out of the pan and into the fire.

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3 hours ago, LightsOut said:

The above should be listed in the 'Worlds top 100 crimes' 

My understanding is he had no experience at all in the gambling industry , had he ever thrown a buck in a fruit machine or one arm Bandit maybe ,   700k who on earth recruited someone with no experience in the gambling industry to run a gambling industry  on 700k .  Surely that person is also ex employee too. 

 

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John Street's comments are to be applauded.

Some years ago I had some questions for the NZRB.  They shut me up by telling the meeting I was at that the information I was requesting was commercially sensitive.

Whenever any of you readers hear the expression "commercially sensitive" be very afraid.  It is a euphemism meaning that if we disclosed that sort of information you would no longer think we are phuck wits; you would know, beyond any shadow of doubt, that we are phuck wits.

They shut me up and now I see a major interest in my seventy one years of life, going under.  I have sought solace in the bourbon bottle.

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A great article, for sure. It really makes one wonder whether racing will get underway in 2020 at all. Even those addicted to racing slow horses and losing money must be close to giving up. And if you can't race out of your region, will they even attract enough gallopers to frame a race meeting? I'm just a small time punter. I don't pretend to have any answers, but I do know this; New Zealand racing was hardly worth betting on anyway, other than the odd Premier meeting, so even if they get enough horses back on track to stage a few races, a lack of punting would still bring it to a premature end anyway, surely? Good horses attract interest, and we were already at the point when anybody with a good horse was looking elsewhere to race it, somewhere there was at least a bit of money available. Nobody could of foreseen what we're currently enduring with Covid-19, but looking at that wages bill, and the money on loan versus a surplus not that many years ago, we were in deep deep do-do's long before the Coronavirus hit town. This could, ultimately be a blessing is disguise. The county will be undergoing a major reset. The whole world in face. Could be the time to do something about it, while there is really nothing left to lose.....

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1 hour ago, Red Rum said:

My understanding is he had no experience at all in the gambling industry , had he ever thrown a buck in a fruit machine or one arm Bandit maybe ,   700k who on earth recruited someone with no experience in the gambling industry to run a gambling industry  on 700k .  Surely that person is also ex employee too. 

 

Exactly and its happened over and over again.

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5 hours ago, LightsOut said:

The above should be listed in the 'Worlds top 100 crimes' 

The salaries that are now being highlighted as 'criminal' have been disclosed in the TAB reports for years......

In the 2014 year the big boss got $970k..........nine hundred and seventy.

Plus there were 10 paid over $240k.....two hundred and forty.......very transparent every year plus the number noted over $100k and the bands.

Staff numbers used to be higher....I think 230 telephone operators were laid off !

The operating expenses have always had Operating expenses much higher than the Funding paid to Clubs

Up to the new betting Platform when money was borrowed to invest in 2017 , the TAB was a profitable business ......in 2014 the report called it a "POWERHOUSE".

In addition to the high expenses and wages etc the codes were sucking it dry !

And many NZ punters on Racecafe were proudly betting and encouraging others to Bet with overseas agencies , plus there were arguments on here who was the most important person in NZ Racing.

We now have the answer......No Bets , No Racing !

Isn't Hindsight an exact science !

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2 hours ago, tasman man 11 said:

And many NZ punters on Racecafe were proudly betting and encouraging others to Bet with overseas agencies 

& there were many completely illogically saying those betting outside the TAB were akin to committing a crime against NZ Racing.

The industry had its opportunity to embrace this but rather it went down a head in the sand avenue..

The fundamental that was missing was a customer experience approach, customers were treated with disdain & left when value for money experiences offered elsewhere. Blind loyalty eventually wears thin when constantly confronted with below par offerings & being routinely taken for granted.

I will place about 200 bets this weekend & zero of them will be with NZ Tab, the offering is so bad I would be an idiot to do so.

Hang on I did place one & that was the $10 free bet I was given, madness.

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4 minutes ago, barryb said:

& there were many completely illogically saying those betting outside the TAB were akin to committing a crime against NZ Racing.

The industry had its opportunity to embrace this but rather it went down a head in the sand avenue..

The fundamental that was missing was a customer experience approach, customers were treated with disdain & left when value for money experiences offered elsewhere. Blind loyalty eventually wears thin when constantly confronted with below par offerings & being routinely taken for granted.

I placed & will place about 200 bets this weekend & zero of them will be with NZ Tab, the offering is so bad I would be an idiot to do so.

Hang on I did place one & that was the $10 free bet I was given, madness.

I agree with you big barry....my point really is to reiterate that a lot of people in racing did not get the workings of the TAB and where the money for Stakes etc came from .Right up to recently folk didn't understand bulk funding etc.

i only took notice myself a couple of years ago when I had time on my hands so attended a couple of John Allens "talks'.After having a quick look at Annual reports I was amazed he wasn't asked more searching questions about key things .....like the equity and reserves of the TAB , like all the staff over $100k ...he was asked several times about his own very high salary and he said that others decided that etc ,and he did say if his current strategy didn't work he would step down...I guess that kinda happened.But I always sensed that the TAB skating on thin ice when 2 % of Punters did 56 % of punting.I sensed he was desperate to retain them ,as last time he said they had lost 2 of the biggest and at the time the margins were dropping.I think they down some 2%...ie from around 14.5% to 12.4 % or less on margin. Obviously too much pressure /influence /bias from Code reps about dates/courses etc which must be big part of tracksides expenses ,Messara saw this immediately and new provisional dates looking for savings there also.Clubs don't like it .

And obvious Sports want and expect more especially when Sports Bets on rise and significant now at over 30%.

Although not a big bettor ,personally I would never consider betting with overseas agency to make a few dollars extra........there is a link with that and NZ's decline .I join the odd club , go in a few syndicates to race horses [both codes] not for the hope of winning big but just to help the industry going........buy local ,a call you will hear more of.NZ will never compete with Australia ,its so much bigger etc etc.You know that.

So you can hope me and my racing participation mates keep up our contribution to NZ racing so you can enjoy it while spending up large overseas .

This applies to more and more now with all types of businesses and stuff. 

Do you want NZ Racing to continue or happy to see it shrink considerably.

My guess is the Govt will cough up but Sports will be told they get their fair share. Harness could be worst affected by this .JMHO

 

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Your first statement says you agree with me & then the 2nd half of your post sinks the boot in.

If the TAB cannot offer competitive products, then it cannot rely on $5 punters blindly loyal like you to sustain it forever, the solution is to sell it to Australia and watch them turn it around.

Yes I want NZ Racing to continue, I have 3 horses in work myself,  but not if they need repeated Govt handouts & then need handouts from the likes of you with the TAB via a poor performing product. There comes a time TM when eventually businesses listen to there customers or just quietly die, nows that time.

 

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Dates - It looks like the old template will continue.      Setting dates over a year before the event.     And then very little can get a change of that date - certainly for the smaller clubs who are basically told that's it like it or lump it.       They have a committee to set these dates so why could they not make it a twice or three times a year task not annually.      So often clashes occur with other sports, whose dates are not known 12 months out.     

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