Comments on: The New Generation of Harness Racing http://harnessracingblog.com/the-new-generation-of-harness-racing/ A Harness Racing Blog Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:26:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Woodbine Website Launches Interactive Columns http://harnessracingblog.com/the-new-generation-of-harness-racing/#comment-455 Woodbine Website Launches Interactive Columns Tue, 12 Aug 2008 04:48:45 +0000 http://harnessracingblog.com/the-new-generation-of-harness-racing/#comment-455 [...] and fun then simply reporting the facts. Greg Blanchard’s first post follows up on the discussion we had here last week about the internet’s role in harness [...] [...] and fun then simply reporting the facts. Greg Blanchard’s first post follows up on the discussion we had here last week about the internet’s role in harness [...]

]]> By: Dean http://harnessracingblog.com/the-new-generation-of-harness-racing/#comment-382 Dean Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:36:20 +0000 http://harnessracingblog.com/the-new-generation-of-harness-racing/#comment-382 I agree. It smacks of cutting off your nose to spite your face, imo. I remember back in the late 1980's when I started attending the track regularly. There were no pay phones. Why? Because they did not want people to make bets with illegal bookies. That's fine. Illegal bookies made up to 10% of handles (so anecdotally we hear) and it was a cost effective way to hinder that. It had value. But this is 2008. How many people want to play legally online but can not because they can't see video? It's a chicken and egg argument we should not be having (imo). Free video should be distributed for all. (and I notice it has gotten a lot better.... Georgian, Grand River, the Meadowlands and many others offer it free now). Just another note if I can, which might help to see where I am coming from on free video: I get free programs from Woodbine. Woodbine has a very good program for bettors. Free programs, some coupons for dinners, that kind of thing. When I go get programs now, I get all of them. When I was paying for them I would just get the Meadowlands and Woodbine/Mohawk and that's it. Or I would bring them from home printed off the computer. With that relatively inexpensive perk I tend to read them and play a few dollars now and again into those pools - pools I would never play into. I do not think the principle is very different with free video. Keep plugging away on the blog!. Great work! I agree. It smacks of cutting off your nose to spite your face, imo.

I remember back in the late 1980’s when I started attending the track regularly. There were no pay phones. Why? Because they did not want people to make bets with illegal bookies. That’s fine. Illegal bookies made up to 10% of handles (so anecdotally we hear) and it was a cost effective way to hinder that. It had value.

But this is 2008. How many people want to play legally online but can not because they can’t see video? It’s a chicken and egg argument we should not be having (imo). Free video should be distributed for all. (and I notice it has gotten a lot better…. Georgian, Grand River, the Meadowlands and many others offer it free now).

Just another note if I can, which might help to see where I am coming from on free video: I get free programs from Woodbine. Woodbine has a very good program for bettors. Free programs, some coupons for dinners, that kind of thing. When I go get programs now, I get all of them. When I was paying for them I would just get the Meadowlands and Woodbine/Mohawk and that’s it. Or I would bring them from home printed off the computer. With that relatively inexpensive perk I tend to read them and play a few dollars now and again into those pools - pools I would never play into. I do not think the principle is very different with free video.

Keep plugging away on the blog!. Great work!

]]> By: admin http://harnessracingblog.com/the-new-generation-of-harness-racing/#comment-380 admin Thu, 10 Jul 2008 22:42:37 +0000 http://harnessracingblog.com/the-new-generation-of-harness-racing/#comment-380 Dean, thank you I've been mulling about these issues for a while. And thanks for <a href="http://pullthepocket.blogspot.com/2008/07/some-forward-thinking.html" rel="nofollow">the mention</a> on your blog. As someone new to the industry I confess not too well versed in the issues, but I do understand the internet, how people use it, and what you can do with it if you understand its potential. Allan, illegal gambling is already huge worldwide. Legal live video monetized by horeseplayers already exists in various forms outside of official channels - <a href="http://www.dayatthetrack.com" rel="nofollow">Day At The Track</a> comes to mind but there are others. My understanding is that these company's have financial agreements with Racetracks so that the dollars flows through to purses. In New Zealand those in power don't want Kiwi's using these offshore services as it means people will gamble more offshore and less in NZ. But surely if it was legal worldwide then the free market would mean betting dollars would even out? I recognize there would be issues to overcome to make sure dollars flow into purses, but a blanket statement like "You can't have live racing video available on the web" seems like a pretty big assumption to me. What would happen if you started with the assumption that you <em>needed</em> to have live video online, and then worked to address the issues from there. Update: Greg Blanchard has an article on Woodbine's site along a similar vein here: http://www.woodbineentertainment.com/woodbinecolumn/Column/Column.aspx?id=21 Dean, thank you I’ve been mulling about these issues for a while. And thanks for the mention on your blog. As someone new to the industry I confess not too well versed in the issues, but I do understand the internet, how people use it, and what you can do with it if you understand its potential.

Allan, illegal gambling is already huge worldwide. Legal live video monetized by horeseplayers already exists in various forms outside of official channels - Day At The Track comes to mind but there are others.

My understanding is that these company’s have financial agreements with Racetracks so that the dollars flows through to purses. In New Zealand those in power don’t want Kiwi’s using these offshore services as it means people will gamble more offshore and less in NZ. But surely if it was legal worldwide then the free market would mean betting dollars would even out?

I recognize there would be issues to overcome to make sure dollars flow into purses, but a blanket statement like “You can’t have live racing video available on the web” seems like a pretty big assumption to me.

What would happen if you started with the assumption that you needed to have live video online, and then worked to address the issues from there.

Update: Greg Blanchard has an article on Woodbine’s site along a similar vein here:

http://www.woodbineentertainment.com/woodbinecolumn/Column/Column.aspx?id=21

]]> By: Allan http://harnessracingblog.com/the-new-generation-of-harness-racing/#comment-378 Allan Thu, 10 Jul 2008 16:40:25 +0000 http://harnessracingblog.com/the-new-generation-of-harness-racing/#comment-378 You can't have live racing video available on the web. This would feed into the hands of the illegal bookies and ADW who don't contribute at all to funding purses. Same thing with regards to wagering info such as programs. That being said, there is no reason why you can't show replays and make programs available for free through legal wagering venues. For the programs, I would make them free if you bet through that site X dollars a month or if you register at a racetrack site. No need to make wagering easier through these illegal wagering sources. You can’t have live racing video available on the web. This would feed into the hands of the illegal bookies and ADW who don’t contribute at all to funding purses. Same thing with regards to wagering info such as programs.

That being said, there is no reason why you can’t show replays and make programs available for free through legal wagering venues. For the programs, I would make them free if you bet through that site X dollars a month or if you register at a racetrack site. No need to make wagering easier through these illegal wagering sources.

]]> By: Dean http://harnessracingblog.com/the-new-generation-of-harness-racing/#comment-377 Dean Thu, 10 Jul 2008 14:53:10 +0000 http://harnessracingblog.com/the-new-generation-of-harness-racing/#comment-377 Bang on! Most excellent post! Bang on!

Most excellent post!

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