In his virtually 12-month tenure, Andrew Jones, CEO of Racing Victoria, has presented up quite a few fascinating (troubling?) insights into his desirous about the strategic course of the racing ‘trade’ (let’s fail to remember its carrying origins). I’ve known 4 major topics, and there is also others I’ve snoozed thru.
Leader among those is the determination to a gambling-led fan proposition. RVL’s an increasing number of comfortable courting with company bookmakers, to the detriment of ‘accountable playing’ sits entrance and centre. New amenities for laptop-toting punters was once the brand new GM of Playing (Matt Welsh)’s first name to re-invigorate ‘fashionable’ fan engagement – all 20 of them, all with company bookmaker accounts.
Concentrated on the 18-34-year-old ‘bet-with-mates’ cohort was once some other Welsh gem – take into account the footy analogy? This, in spite of RVL realizing this cohort is essentially the most vulnerable to gambling-related hurt. Accountable or exploitation?
A take a look at RVL’s flagship racing.com and entirely owned RSN ‘fan’ channels demonstrates simply how some distance the pony fan-gambling proposition has swung. Nowhere on racing.com may I to find protection of the newsworthy Birdsville jigger affair however odds, or guidelines for Ipswich, Warwick or Townsville ‘purchased to you by way of’, racing.com has you coated.
I may even put up a racing.com display shot of a racing web page that presentations no connection with Victorian racing… on a flagship Saturday. I’m simply no longer certain how that aligns with the RVL board’s authentic intent to “make Victorian thoroughbred racing obtainable to extra folks in additional puts”. Nowhere did they are saying to make interstate playing extra obtainable.
Then there was once Jones’ connection with the aphorism “a emerging tide lifts all boats” when protecting the spirit of direct prize money-driven pageant for horses, jockeys and running shoes between NSW and Victoria.
Kerrin McEvoy onboard Deauville Legend throughout trackwork at Werribee Racecourse on October 25, 2022 in Werribee, Australia. (Jay The city/Racing Footage by means of Getty Photographs)
Any learn about of the bodily or social sciences (and the Australian financial system) presentations simply how missing that standpoint is.
In racing, the prize cash distribution information for the final twenty years presentations that the ones no longer lucky (or chance tolerant) sufficient to possess an ideal maxi are spending a lot more time bailing out their ‘tinnies’ simply to stay afloat. I ponder what number of running shoes who’ve downsized in recent times because of trade constructions and prerequisites believe Jones that they’re taking part in the culmination of report tides?
If the expanding ‘true’ prices have been if truth be told factored in, many extra can be floating stomach up – and no longer in a great way. Assume shark bait.
While you’re speaking many tens of millions of greenbacks – even small ‘tidal’ (share) variations translate into vastly other fortunes. This was once in all probability maximum starkly proven within the distribution of 2022 Victorian spring black kind riches – which had benefited from an build up of $15 million in 2022 prize cash allocations. Simply 3 stables accounted for 53 in keeping with cent of all black kind prize cash. The highest 5, over 64 in keeping with cent.
The highest 3 stables took house about $8 million of the larger distributions – greater than all of the will increase allotted to all of the nation races for a complete yr.
This tells me that however for a couple of, nearly all of homeowners, running shoes and jockeys are situated a continent clear of Jones’ ‘emerging tide’. What’s that different announcing – one guy’s top tide is some other guy’s…
Extra just lately Jones introduced RVL’s Equine Welfare Strategic Plan. Neither very strategic nor a lot of a plan. Even worse, 99 in keeping with cent of the KPIs in that plan may well be met – and no longer ensure a unmarried progressed well being or wellbeing result can be noticed for the equine inhabitants, until you’re non secular.
Watch a few episodes of Utopia and also you’ll get the waft. You could even marvel what ‘horse first considering’ in point of fact method.
The newest providing on the global racing convention by way of Jones was once the advice that get dressed requirements of board shorts and thongs would deliver racegoers again to the observe of their droves. Most likely a tidal browsing pool within the Flemington Contributors automotive park would lend a hand – in spite of everything, the auto park sits empty 98 in keeping with cent of the yr.
His analogy of non-existent get dressed codes at eating places (MCC eating places do and that hasn’t lowered crowds) is so extensive of the buoy as to be humorous. What Jones ignores is that “doable” racing enthusiasts have already determined on their garments for the day ahead of any person mentions “get dressed requirements”.
So, after twelve months of a brand new CEO’s insights, has the well being and wellbeing of the Victorian racing trade benefited?
As an alternative of pointing to the similar glossy mega-yachts anchored within the RVL harbour and giving featured prominence in all RVL promoting retailers, in all probability a greater take a look at is to take a look at the huge selection of ‘tinnies’ which are at risk of being swamped by way of even the slightest of waves.
Most likely it’s too overdue however I cant lend a hand however suppose what racing would possibly seem like if the trade technique was once realigned to at least one making it as simple as imaginable to be keen on horse racing moderately than keen on the punt?
In the end, what contemporary historical past (information) tells me is it’s more straightforward to make a punter out of a fan than a fan out of a punter.
