Members of the Horseplayers Association of North America (HANA) have got the wheels in motion to put their money where their mouth is
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Handicappers from far and wide are being recruited by HANA in an experiment which could ultimately lead to the fans of the sport having more of an influence on some of the decisions that are made in the racing industry.
Here's a portion of what was listed in the blog:
”We all know (as horseplayers and customers of the game) the only control we really have is how, where, and when we actually bet our dollars. Many of us have a comfort zone on how much we wager. Individually, most of us do not bet enough to really influence the pool totals at most racetracks. However, if 300, 500, or even 1000 of us got together and collectively bet our money, we could certainly make a noticeable difference.
An example would go like this. Each week a race is selected at a certain track during the middle of the week. Our group would bet a predetermined amount of money (say $50-100 per person) into the pool of the selected race. You could bet this money any way you wanted into the pools of that race. You could also bet it from any venue you choose (ADW account, OTB, or at the track itself if that is feasible) just as long as the money went into the pools of that selected race. You can easily do the math here. Let’s say 300 of us bet $100 each into the fourth race at Turfway Park on a Wednesday afternoon. That would be an extra $30,000 that hit their pool and they never saw it coming. The next week we do the same thing at Beulah or Turf Paradise. We start with the small tracks first to be able to track our money and the impact it has.
As our numbers grow, we then move to the larger tracks. We envision eventually having 3 to 5 thousand members at some point as this venture grows. That would then allow us to perhaps cut down the amount of our individual wager to perhaps the $25 to $30 range. All of you can see that as a united group we can really make an impact as our very large block of money lands when and where we see fit. As this impact becomes more and more noticeable (to track management, the horseman’s groups, the ADWs and even some State regulatory agencies) we then begin to have a voice. After all, we (the customers) are the life blood of this industry and our voice can now be heard. We will then be in a position to use our large block of “wagering dollars” to influence some of the decisions that are made in our industry.”
The basis of this idea is a
The basis of this idea is a great one, but it also addresses the problem with the racing industry - the fans have been ignored, the pools are getting smaller, and the value of betting into small pools is not there.
Purse pooling in Ontario, at least IS THE ANSWER! But, the horsemen are not listening!
Where is the czar?