Canadian Handle Up In 2014

Published: January 5, 2015 09:00 am EST

"The focus is back on the customer now, so that's a good thing. Racing's taken a lot of steps in the right direction in the last year. You look at the mindset now and the focus of a lot of these racetracks, compared to say five years ago, has made a big shift."

The early numbers on Canadian harness racing handle show very positive trends. At the conclusion of 2014, the amount wagered on Canadian races exceeded $418.5 million. That total marked a more than five percent increase from the $397.5 million wagered in 2013.

In addition to the overall handle bump, the per race handle increased 13.66 percent -- from $27,810 in 2013 to $31,608 in 2014. According to Greg Blanchard, General Manager of The Raceway at The Western Fair District, the keys to these increases --especially at his track -- are scheduling, cooperation between the tracks, and product distribution.

"It's a combination of a lot of things, but the key thing is the schedule," Blanchard told the Guelph Mercury in reference to Western Fair's recent handle figures. "We're trying to maximize it for horsepeople and for bettors. There's more places taking your signal and there's more eyeballs on you."

Not only are there more eyeballs on your product from a customer perspective, but the five-year partnership plan with the Ontario government gives even more incentive for the Standardbred Alliance tracks to ensure the racing product is focused appropriately.

"We're in a position now that we're more closely tied to the government than we ever have been," said Blanchard. "It's important to show them that we can do it, that we can work together and we can achieve positive results when we do that...There are still people out there that want to bet."

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