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Post by BVADMIN on Sept 21, 2018 6:45:39 GMT
A very good article by Mr Bruce Millington in yesterday's Racing Post....
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Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2018 8:27:41 GMT
good read ,had a little chuckle to myself when I read the bit about hopefully there will always be bookmakers at the track because they are part of the charm of a day at the races ,bruce obviously didn't have the pleasure of a night in the chieftain stand with curly Clarke .
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Post by BVADMIN on Oct 1, 2018 7:45:19 GMT
***** THE CRAZY MEDIA BATTLE ***** This crazy on going situation needs sorting out.
I still fail to see why some high street bookmakers are not taking bets at every greyhound track in the country.
Here's hoping in 2019 it get's sorted.
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Post by BVADMIN on Oct 1, 2018 22:33:28 GMT
Patient is ill but it does not have to be terminal....BY JONATHAN KAYFEW will deny that greyhound racing is a business in decline, but there are arguments to be had about whether it is terminally so and if the current status could have been avoided.
As ever when navel-gazing, the starting point of the sport’s woes can be traced back to the legalising of off-course betting in 1961 and the failure then to secure parity with horseracing in terms of a statutory levy.
At once, the competitive advantage greyhound tracks had in terms of being the easiest-accessible opportunity for legal betting during the day was lost, with no recompense in terms of funding from the off-course industry by way of a share of turnover.
That directly led to the first major tranche of track closures, particularly in big cities such as London where property values were high, and gradual decline continued until the early 1990s.
It was 1993 when another dagger was thrust into the sport by government with the further relaxation of gaming laws which allowed evening opening of betting shops. The earlier call for a ‘voluntary’ greyhound levy by then-chancellor Norman Lamont was one rare bright spot.
Given such circumstances were outside greyhound racing’s control, the more pertinent question is whether the situation could have been handled better.
Promoters are an easy target and certainly deserve a lot of the flak they get having generally seemed to have short-term vision rather than a long-term strategy.
It was appalling to see the relish with which they devoured Fund money in what must now be viewed as the boom years, particularly so when the cash often went to what would be deemed business expenses.
However, perhaps a bigger issue is a loss of focus in terms of the customer, particularly so with owners who are such a vital part of the sport.
This first manifested itself when casual racegoers – remember the ‘six pack’ deals that provided bargain price entrance, food, drink etc? – were able to secure far better offers to attend a track than owners, and has continued apace with most meetings now being staged for the betting industry at times which are spectator-unfriendly.
Income from media rights keeps tracks going, but so too do owners and they deserve recognition on that basis.
It is hard to fathom that some tracks do not now have a Saturday evening meeting, and many that do just put on any old racing instead of trying to make it a showcase. With no Sky Sports coverage to dictate race days, more big finals should take place at a weekend.
There is also a feeling that greyhound racing has been taken downmarket with the product cheapened by being virtually given away. The 1p meal deal was lunacy, with the greyhound racing taking place alongside the offer rendered an irrelevant sideshow for many attendees.
Nor has greyhound racing adapted to the modern era. In a time of short attention spans, a sport which generally takes around 30 seconds a pop to decide should be a hit with the younger generation, but where is the smart technology to seize youth imagination?
Visitors to the sport’s very basic official website – thedogs.co.uk – hardly get a glamorous image and the ridiculous decision to introduce advertising on it has slowed it to such an extent it can border on being unusable.
The media rights battle between SIS and TRP has not helped by splitting the sport when unity and clarity of purpose are required. How that will play out remains unclear, but all the time there are factions the sport suffers.
Any industry is better working together but there are too many individual voices for greyhound racing to have a true vision.
The fall in Fund revenue, which may be close to being addressed with agreement over contributions on internet turnover, led to many budget cuts, with that for marketing always an easy option.
It is false economy though and should be a priority if and when extra revenue is available, while there needs to be a nationwide strategy and push to sell greyhound racing as the fast, vibrant sport we all know it is.
At the moment, we seem too scared to tell anyone.
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Post by BVADMIN on Oct 5, 2018 16:56:22 GMT
Latest developments from SIS
888 boosts greyhound offering with SIS partnership....
We are pleased to announce that we have signed a deal to provide major global operator 888 with our British and Irish Greyhound content.
As part of the deal we will deliver our live greyhound pictures and data to 888sport brand. The greyhound content consists of more than 48 meetings per week from British tracks including Central Park, Crayford, Doncaster, Harlow, Henlow, Hove, Monmore and Romford, as well as Irish action from Curraheen Park, Limerick, Mullingar, Tralee and Youghal.
With over 30,000 greyhound races taking place per year, the operator’s customer base will have access to regular short-form betting opportunities occurring every eight minutes, designed to increase engagement and dwell time.
Chris McKenzie, Head of Product at 888, said: “We’re thrilled to have partnered with SIS in a deal which allows us to significantly expand our greyhound offering with quality live racing from Britain and Ireland.
“With SIS’s expertise and a proven betting product, we’re sure that these frequent short-form events will appeal to bettors and provide them with competitive greyhound racing that will provide a great betting experience and ultimately boost our greyhound betting revenue.”
Sandra McWilliams, Director of Sales at SIS, said: “Delivering our British and Irish Greyhound content to 888, one of the industry’s biggest operators, is a major deal for us and further underlines the quality of our racing offer.
“With races taking place every eight minutes, 888sport customers will have access to a significant number of quick-fire events throughout the day at times they want to bet, meaning they will be engaged for longer.”
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Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2018 14:15:48 GMT
not good news about William hill dropping all trp tracks except Newcastle and sunderland from their betting shops ,so you will not be able to watch belle vue in any of the main off course betting shops now , although you can still watch on their online service ,
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Post by BVADMIN on Oct 27, 2018 16:10:20 GMT
not good news about William hill dropping all trp tracks except Newcastle and sunderland from their betting shops ,so you will not be able to watch belle vue in any of the main off course betting shops now , although you can still watch on their online service , THE GAMES GONE MAD 'mulgannon'
SOMETHING HAS TO GIVE IN 2019 FOR SURE.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 28, 2018 13:59:19 GMT
not good news about William hill dropping all trp tracks except Newcastle and sunderland from their betting shops ,so you will not be able to watch belle vue in any of the main off course betting shops now , although you can still watch on their online service , THE GAMES GONE MAD 'mulgannon'
SOMETHING HAS TO GIVE IN 2019 FOR SURE. William Hill appear to be a voyage of self destruction! Their share price began a downward curve some time ago now (a steady decline since they agreed their deal in the USA). Since then the price has lost almost 35% so they rather obviously have made some mistakes and need to prune to steady the ship - this cut could be part of the pruning similar to their stands at the Horse racing venues and NOT necessarily anything to do directly with our industry. It's easy to go scaremongering, as we have seen in the not too distant past. They may have another deal in the pipeline and need to be super fit in order to take it on! The other alternative is, as already stated - they have made a general booboo on a recent business decision.
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Post by mickeymarsh on Oct 28, 2018 14:31:01 GMT
belle vue to many trainers.dogs laying on their beds can't get 4 runs per month.also rubbish prize money.and now can't even watch them in bookies.been in dog game 40 years sad to think
it may be time to retire from it.
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Post by johncox on Oct 28, 2018 15:48:53 GMT
so betfred and now hills, no doubt they no longer pay for the service must therefore have a knock on effect with monies in the pot..
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