Attracting New Players to the Game

[barb craven]

There has been a great deal of chatter lately about the
trailing off of players due to various reasons. At the moment,
payout at some tracks is the hot topic.

I want to talk for a moment about attracting new people to the
enjoyment of the game.

For the past year and a bit I have belonged to a social group
on line who can discuss any thing that interests them. One
person in Toronto started a new site called ‘And They're Off’
and posted some pictures of some of our better tracks and some videos
of some interesting races. It piqued my interest, and I joined that group.
It turned out that he was fascinated by horse racing, but knew absolutely
nothing about it, and was afraid to go and see by himself. For a while we
were the only two in the group. We talked for a bit and I told him some of
the things I was doing, and how I came to be handicapping
Woodbine using RDSS. He started asking me a lot of questions, which to my surprise,
I found I could answer.

Before long other people were joining the group and all had a love
of horses or wanted to know more about the sport in general.

We arranged to all meet up at Woodbine last fall and even Ted
came along. He and I brought our computers and spent most of
the time answering questions, although we did go down to watch
the horses in the paddock a couple of times and outside to watch
the races themselves. The group was enthralled. No one bet tht day
except Ted and myself.

Since then we meet every couple of months at Woodbine.
Others have been attracted to come and now several of them
have enough confidence to start doing some betting. One in
particular cleaned up when we met last month.

There is another site that a lot of us belong to and a racing
forum has been started over there in the last two months.
That one has attracted a constant Standard Bred bettor and a
former jockey who comes from a family of jockeys, who still
breeds horses here in Ontario.

Next weekend the two groups are coming together to meet at
Woodbine on the Sunday as there are three Stakes races. I
expect that there won’t be one person who doesn’t put down a
few dollars.

Up until now, I have been the resident guru so-to-speak. Me
with my limited knowledge. With the advent of more
knowledgeable members, the group as a whole is starting to
branch out to other tracks and keep an eye out for some of the
more important races and post replays. The members that can’t come
to a particular meet want a detailed account of
verything that went on upon our return.

I will be visiting my sister next week and she is insisting
that we go from her place to Woodbine so she too can see for
herself what this is all about.

I think, imho, that small grassroot things like this can keep
the interest in the sport alive in today’s atmosphere.

[barb craven]

I left out one important thing. If it hadn't been for a certain person urging me to 'come and have a look at my software program and see what's going on', I wouldn't today have a new and consuming hobby that verges on a passion. and I wouldn't have met a whole new group of friends. If it can happen to me and my on line groups, it can happen anywhere.

[Rverge]

very nice!

[For The Lead]

It's not enough to just attract new players to horse racing. You have to attract YOUNG players.

I never thought much about that until about 10 years ago. That's when my son was old enough to be in a RACE AND SPORTS BOOK here in Las Vegas.

You have to understand the race and sports books are side by side in one open area. You can sit in one and watch the other.

After being in the race and sports book every single day for about a month, my son noted that horse racing was "an old guys game". He noticed that the people in the race book area were older men, while people in the sports book area were young men. I had never paid any attention to that, but he was right. In the ten years since he first called my attention to it, I have to say he was absolutely correct.

Forget about a day when young people outnumber old people in the race book. THAT never happens on any day. There isn't even a day when the number of young people equal the number of old people, or even come close.

Racing needs to find a way to attract young players. If they don't, who is going to be wagering on races when the old people are dead and gone!

[barb craven]

I agree. I suppose I should have included the demographics when I spoke. The reason our groups started was because of a 14 year old girl who loved horses and the track so much she got her dad pestered her dad to take her to Woodbine. He is the one who started the first of our groups so he could try to underswtand what it was all about and get her some help. They now go to Woodbine both days every weekend. Her ambition is to become a jockey when she is older and she is eager to start working around the barns as soon as she is old enough.
Our combined groups also include 4 people in their 40's as well as us 'older' folks. There are a lot of betting days left in these people.

[barb craven]

They say a picture is worth a a thousand words. Below are a few pictures I took over the course of three days at Saratoga. The cost to get in for the day is $3 and a program is $2.50, making it extremely affordable for families to come for a day at the races.









I would put to you, how many old folks do you see here? Inside, yes, but they can't go in there because of alcohol being served. But there is a whole world of racing to learn about outside, where they can go over and look at the horses , trainers, owners and jockeys in the walking ring, watch the horses parading around, listen to their parents arguing over programs as to who to bet on, and finally watching the race go off either live or on the monitors. What more do you want?

I've observed similar family outings at both Woodbine and Ft. Erie, not on the grounds but in the stands. Children on parents laps and even in strollers, young boys and girls asking questions of anyone who will listen to them, adults making sure any child gets in front at trackside so they can watch the race. (these are the only three tracks I have been at). I don't know how it is at other U.S. tracks.

The cost to get in to these two Canadian tracks is nothing for the stands and $2.50 for a program and I don't know of anything that says you can't bring your own food or drink there. Inside where alcohol is served is a different story, but if you want to show youngsters a good time on a limited budget, and develop a love of the game, what better place to start. I know of no other sport where you can take a family for a day's outing for this ridiculously cheap amount of money.

What you bet is another matter.

[noddub62]

Barb,

These pictures are similar to what I see at Lone Star on the week ends and holidays. The young adults with and without kids bring food, spread blankets and play whatever with each other or their kids between races. Generally they can't be serious players at this point in their lives because of family, finances, etc. But many we hope will enjoy the sport and contribute to it later in life.

On the otherhand when you go inside to the grandstand or upper levels where reservations are required, most are older adults that would rather be comfortable inside (hot Texas days) and eat more than a cheap hotdog. The simulcast is even more different with a lot of retirees and regulars. Generally the same faces.

Lone Star is trying to reach more younger participants thru concerts, giveways, cheap food and beer days/nites, etc. and I hope they make a stronger effort alonger those lines. It would be interesting to hear from others as to how their track is doing in these age aspects.

Its a fun game but needs more fans and management change to suceed.

Just my observations,

Bud

[barb craven]

Thanks for sharing Bud. I see the same things at Woodbine and Ft. Erie on the inside too. And yes, it would be interesting to hear from others as to how their tracks are fareing.

Barb