Try Something New ?

by Ed Meyer

posted on June 27, 2018 in Blogroll, General Discussion, Horse Racing, WinningPonies.com | 1 Comment >>

I’ve worked in racing for many moons. Long ago, it was the only game in town and all you had to do was keep the lights on. – Not any more. – There are so many places to get your bet on and enjoy a little action. From my doorstep, there are six racinos /casinos and four racetracks only 40-50 minutes away. Talk about competition. – Every day the most overused word at the track is handle. You know, the churn, the drop, the bottom line. – Tracks are spending more time trying to create wagers that will save the day and there seems to be little traction. So what’s the industry to do?

Tracks have been fighting for the longest time. Not fist to fist but trying to out-do the other. – I guess competition is good but what would happen if they tried to work together for once? – Because if they squeeze out all of the other competition it will be a short-term win, and fans will end up losing interest. – With that little thought in mind. Here are a few ideas that may make a dent in the handle and have a little fun in the process.

 

The Triple Double

It can be a 50-cent base wager, and the idea is to win the 1st, middle, and late daily double. – All three have to win to get the cash. – It may start off a little slow at first, but when the pool gets up around $5,000. You can bet dollars to doughnuts the fans on track will make a wager and players wagering off-site will surely drop a few bucks on this new bet with a 100% carryover.

The T-3

Following the idea of the Triple Double, the idea would be to hit the first trifecta, the middle and the last race trifecta. – The wager can have a 20-cent minimum and be a good way to chase a nice payday. – As always, new wagers take some time as racing fans are fickle. It takes a little extra time for a wager to sink in, and once it does it could be a pleasant surprise. – If there are small fields or a race coming off the turf, the track can change the wager to other races. This keeps the pool growing and reward lucky winners with nice payouts and a 100% carryover.

The Big E

Keeping in line with the above wagers, it involves the exacta. – You must hit the first two exactas and the last two on the race card. – If there are no winners, it will be a 100% carryover. – A 50-cent base wager will make it more attractive and players will take a shot. Who knows? – It may be a whole lotta fun and a shot to win a nice score.

In the Money

A 20-cent base wager where you have to be 1st, 2nd, or 3rd in every race for the entire card to win. – This may be an excellent wager to get new players involved at a lower cost. – If you have a scratch, you’ll get the post time win pool favorite so you’ll always have a runner. – If you’re feeling lucky, you may be “In the Money.”

 

The idea is to make the game fun. Get people involved, and you may see the handle jump a bit. – The odds of hitting the Powerball are 1 in 292.2 million, and Mega Millions is 1 in 302.5 million. – We all drop in a few bucks knowing there’s a better chance of making back to back hole-in-ones while standing on one leg. – We can’t keep using the same wagers as other tracks and expect astronomical spikes in the handle. I think if we try and make the wagers fun by chasing a nice pool. I’m sure they will grow in time. – Think about the wagers we’ve seen and still do: The Omni, The Swinger, Odd and Even and The Jockey 7 Wager. – I’m not picking one or more I like, but I respect the effort of trying something new. These are wagers that might catch on, and if they do you’ll have a little something extra in the handle report.