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

The numbers don't lie - where the TAB went wrong

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I have only just noticed this article. It is a pity all of the discussion about it seems to have been from two or three people bouncing off each other. I think this is a very well written article, one of the best Barry has done. For those not aware of the history it shows that the TAB was once a very well run organisation, largely inhabited by people with either a passion for the industry itself or a passion for gaming and the technological side of things. As the article mentions, it started to go downhill in the early 90s when management started to become dominated by outsiders with no interest in racing or even betting. This dumbing down increased at a frenetic pace throughout the 2000s until the main prerequisite for a job at the TAB was to be a failed postman.

Back in the 80s I suspect quite a significant percentage of TAB employees had shares in racehorses, and quite a few would have been regular punters in their spare time. It would be very interesting to know how many current employees have shares in horses, especially those at the highly paid management level, and how many even have a TAB betting account. Sadly I suspect they are probably the main ones who have been made redundant so far.

It is probably too late to return the industry to anywhere near what it used to be, but the one lesson we surely have learnt from all of this is that the recruitment of largely useless outsiders must end. If anything is to be salvaged at all it will only be through the efforts of passionate racing-invested people. The Government also must learn from this. The failed experiment of appointing political lackeys to the Board must end. People must be appointed to the Board because of their skills and dedication to the industry, not because of gender.

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On 6/9/2020 at 7:12 PM, Lachie Ashton said:

In response to Berri, Tasman11, Turney Tom , MikeNZ and co. Please find attached my media release as promised.

 

 

MediaRelease2.pdf 63.06 kB · 20 downloads

Great Stuff Lachie ! :wub: 👍 I'd sooner give my cash to clubs directly than to the useless suits that have been running racing over the last 20 years!.
At least I'd know it has gone to good use to benefit the industry participants at the coalface!

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Come on Lachie...you have completely missed the point and are waffling. The main issue is not the amalgamation of the clubs. Its the ability to stimulate the appeal of the racing industry where profit as a result of revenue exceeds the current status quo. That you cannot succinctly articulate a methodology that can achieve this shows you do not not have the prerequisite experience or knowledge to deploy policy to regenerate the industry's fortunes.

Go away and do your homework in order to reach the tipping point that is required to honestly help the industry. Lip service is not what is required at this point. In depth knowledge and experience is the only thing that can help. The amendments to the racing bill are not yet what is required as they limit everything at a time where the industry is under duress.

The only problem is that although the bill finally agrees that a requirement to appoint board members that have experience in technology, gambling and broadcasting, it is obvious that during the writing of the amendments the select committee haven't consulted with anyone appropriate in those sectors. Had they done so they would have realized that the bill is not fit for purpose as this was meant to be the blue print for the next 10 years of operations.

Lachie....fess up....you don't know what I'm talking about....if you did....and you really cared....you'd be trying to get in touch with me just to see what I was prattling on about...

Just calling a spade a spade

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7 hours ago, Berri said:

 

The only problem is that although the bill finally agrees that a requirement to appoint board members that have experience in technology, gambling and broadcasting, it is obvious that during the writing of the amendments the select committee haven't consulted with anyone appropriate in those sectors. Had they done so they would have realized that the bill is not fit for purpose as this was meant to be the blue print for the next 10 years of operations.

Berri,

You will be absolutely delighted,

I see this totally qualifies your drop kick mate andy kydd.

Experience does not = ability

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On 6/9/2020 at 2:29 PM, We're Doomed said:

I have only just noticed this article. It is a pity all of the discussion about it seems to have been from two or three people bouncing off each other. I think this is a very well written article, one of the best Barry has done. For those not aware of the history it shows that the TAB was once a very well run organisation, largely inhabited by people with either a passion for the industry itself or a passion for gaming and the technological side of things. As the article mentions, it started to go downhill in the early 90s when management started to become dominated by outsiders with no interest in racing or even betting. This dumbing down increased at a frenetic pace throughout the 2000s until the main prerequisite for a job at the TAB was to be a failed postman.

Back in the 80s I suspect quite a significant percentage of TAB employees had shares in racehorses, and quite a few would have been regular punters in their spare time. It would be very interesting to know how many current employees have shares in horses, especially those at the highly paid management level, and how many even have a TAB betting account. Sadly I suspect they are probably the main ones who have been made redundant so far.

It is probably too late to return the industry to anywhere near what it used to be, but the one lesson we surely have learnt from all of this is that the recruitment of largely useless outsiders must end. If anything is to be salvaged at all it will only be through the efforts of passionate racing-invested people. The Government also must learn from this. The failed experiment of appointing political lackeys to the Board must end. People must be appointed to the Board because of their skills and dedication to the industry, not because of gender.

I am not at all sure where you get the "downhill in the early 90s" and "outsiders with no interest in racing or even betting" from.

Check the Annual Report for 2003. Dedicated racing people with a passion for the industry. Record turnover. NZ still supplying great horses to take on, and beat the Aussies e.g. Ethereal and Sunline.

Sadly, it was the dissolution of the RIB and the TAB and the formation of the RB that led to the features to which you refer.

 

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I think we will all just keep going around in circles with who to blame etc but the simple fact is we just need to find a solution to the betting turnover. Simply need to create something that will make people want to be betting on our product with our TAB. Look how betfair revolutionised things, we need to find an edge to get the public dollar again. 

One thing that I can't get my head around is the days/times of some of the dogs and harness meetings, who is really going to be betting on a Monday and Tuesday early afternoon? Maybe these meeting should be starting at 5.30pm once people are finished work for the day and sitting down and might flick trackside on and have a bet. Or maybe Saturday mornings before the gallops meeting start or like you see in Aus where the gallops finish and the evening harness and dogs start up straight afterwards. Why did NZ harness ever stop being on a Saturday night? 

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More than just a new bet type or two though, something to really get people wanting to play the game. With so many people with a device in the hand so often these day there must be something to get them playing. Something simple but will keep them keen and wanting to play again. Like a lay 10 unplaced in next 10 races coming up, but it needs to be simple but a chance to win big with a big of risk. 

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Getting folk on course is the hard bit for all clubs. 

Comes back to basics, good food, good amenities and reasonably priced alcohol - o. This site seems to be a constant complaint

Heads up to my local CJC, they have this pretty right but still on a Saturday only 300 turn up - something is missing or is raci g just not exciting

I have said for years 8 races start at 1.30 pm finish at 4.30 pm, currently it is a long day for new recruits maybe

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Something like you click on an App on your phone enter your 'risk' amount say $1 and then  choose amount to 'win' then the app displays your upcoming runners it works out for you. Or for those that know about racing and form etc you can do it manually and pick your own. 

I don't really know the answer, I'm just laying on the couch sick so thinking up things so could be well off the mark. 

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They’ve got the mechanism...Pick6.

Before everyone gets up in arms, how about not just on a horse race, but sporting events as well included in the mix, try to draw the general public in. It could be as specific as how many sixes hit in a cricket match, what time or how many lengths a horse wins by, that sort of thing , to take lotto on. You could always just take a lucky dip 😎. Get the general public by in, make it something they do weekly, just like lotto. Imagine the excitement of all those going live into the last event. Did I mention the 32 odd % takeout rate?

My 10c worth.

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13 hours ago, chevy86 said:

Triple Trio- now that was winner!😄

That was because the weighted average of horses here in NZ didn't allow an even enough distribution of horses winning. Meant that in NZ the triple trio being struck was approx 120,000 to 1. Not hard enough to sustain the development of $2m 1st division pools. Also TT in HK had odds of 460,000 to 1 but reason they liked it was that it was for $10 tickets. Odds need to be at least 3m to 1 to be sustainable.

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