Two Ways to Keep Them Looking

by Ed Meyer

posted on April 10, 2022 in Blogroll, General Discussion, Handicapping, Horse Racing, WinningPonies.com | Comments Off on Two Ways to Keep Them Looking

In racing, I have had the distinct pleasure of watching the big boys and the little tracks. Both have merit, and my learning from one helped me with the other. I used to have to ultra focus on pennies just so we could have a fan-friendly event for the smaller venues, and when breaking into the big leagues there was less focus on the dollars spent.

One way taught me to be frugal, and when afforded the opportunity I focus my attention on detail which helped me at bigger levels. I have to say there was something to learn from each.

In keeping in touch with fans, there are a couple things that come to mind. Some tracks employ one or more of these ideas, but more venues could be better served by “paying attention to the details” as my track education taught me long ago. – Don’t assume they wouldn’t like to be engaged with helpful tools to make theirs.

 

1.

On the website, you’ll see promotions for bands, free hot dogs, and ice cream specials. Big slot drawings and jackpot galore. – All good, and serve the purpose of getting the message out. But there is very little to attract the horseplayer if any. Change your racino into an entertainment destination.

Some fans are not betting online with an ADW. They make the trek out to bet and go home and wait for results. – How about having a portal for players with a loyalty card to be able to watch our website for the live feed of races?– Believe me, there are more fans that make the drive to make bets and leave. Right now, we have no way to communicate with them. Make it a must to have the free loyalty card so we can build a database on who to reach when there is a racing promotion to enjoy.

2.

How about having free PPs for every loyalty cardholder? – You can make them not printable, and fans can take a look for free at the live races for the day before making the drive. – Most will enjoy this and others can be taught how to access their phones or devices. – Have a free tip sheet from the track handicapper and a coupon sheet good for the month for a free concession item for that day?  You could add horses-to-watch for the month and a special interview of local trainers, riders, etc. – Get them in the game and you won’t go wrong. The monthly sheet for a coupon is done one time per month, the newsletter, and only adding the free tip sheet is done daily. – Racing fans will love this.

 

I’m all about growing the sport. – Long ago it was Boxing, Baseball, and Horse Racing. – We’ve grown complacent and just turning on the lights is not enough to compete with the competition. Fans want to be where the people are, and it is our responsibility to keep this growing. – Give them some of these cost-effective ideas and you may start seeing a difference in the grandstands. These are pennies on the dollar additions, and maybe that small track mentality is coming back out. But, it has served me well with being able to serve the players and keep costs down. Anyone can throw money at a problem, but the small track thinking keeps me closer to the needs of the racing fan.

Best of luck from Winning Ponies!