The news that two of the most high profile bookmaker PR figures have left the business is just the latest in a recent wave of indicators that suggest that racing is rapidly falling down the list of Horse race betting bookmakers priority interests, writes Elliot Slater.
Both the veteran Neal Wilkins, head of PR for Victor Chandler for the last 10 years, and David Hood of William Hill, one of the most recognisable PR faces in the business, have parted company with their respective employers in moves that strongly hint that the focus of the betting industry is now moving away from horse racing and onto general sports betting.
Those who enjoy betting online should note that Wilkins was unavailable for comment, but Hood, in a revealing interview with the Racing Post, made it clear that the budgets being set aside to support the sponsorship and promotion of horse racing have been, and will continue to be reduced year on year as firms feel their money is better spent on more high profile sports like, football, rugby, cricket and golf.
Speaking of his decision to part company with Hill’s, Hood tellingly said: “I love racing and betting, but the non-racing element is taking increasing precedence. It’s a sign of the times, the resources that can be spent on promoting racing are increasingly limited – and racing has to come to terms with this and the pressure it is under.”
Following on from the news in the last seven days that high profile sponsor Stan James (Newmarket Guineas meeting) and Boylesports (The Cheltenham International fixture) will not renew their sponsorship agreements, and the more than £24 million in cuts in prize money and other reductions proposed by the Levy Board for 2011, the future is looking somewhat bleak for the long-term health of horse racing in Britain.
Betting Industry Turns Back On Racing
Do you think that the exchanges and online betting has caused this, someone sugested that if the Tote became an exchange within five years they would overtake betfairwrexham casual wrote:The news that two of the most high profile bookmaker PR figures have left the business is just the latest in a recent wave of indicators that suggest that racing is rapidly falling down the list of Horse race betting bookmakers priority interests, writes Elliot Slater.
Both the veteran Neal Wilkins, head of PR for Victor Chandler for the last 10 years, and David Hood of William Hill, one of the most recognisable PR faces in the business, have parted company with their respective employers in moves that strongly hint that the focus of the betting industry is now moving away from horse racing and onto general sports betting.
Those who enjoy betting online should note that Wilkins was unavailable for comment, but Hood, in a revealing interview with the Racing Post, made it clear that the budgets being set aside to support the sponsorship and promotion of horse racing have been, and will continue to be reduced year on year as firms feel their money is better spent on more high profile sports like, football, rugby, cricket and golf.
Speaking of his decision to part company with Hill’s, Hood tellingly said: “I love racing and betting, but the non-racing element is taking increasing precedence. It’s a sign of the times, the resources that can be spent on promoting racing are increasingly limited – and racing has to come to terms with this and the pressure it is under.”
Following on from the news in the last seven days that high profile sponsor Stan James (Newmarket Guineas meeting) and Boylesports (The Cheltenham International fixture) will not renew their sponsorship agreements, and the more than £24 million in cuts in prize money and other reductions proposed by the Levy Board for 2011, the future is looking somewhat bleak for the long-term health of horse racing in Britain.
Year one 0% commision
Year two 1%
Year three 2%
Year four 3%
Year five 5%
I think they could be right, but the tote is goverment run i belive
People are less interested in racing. It's image, particularly amoung young people, is of stuffy old upper class men wearing ridiculous regalia patting each other on the back at gentlemens clubs. The recent rise in poker, roulette and betting on other more 'sexy' sports such as football has far more to do with it IMO as these activities are just far more attractive to young people and the racing authorities ahve done next to nothing to address the image of racing in light of this kind of competition. The fact that John McCririck is seen by most non-racing people as being the 'face' of racing tells you all you need to know. The exchanges haven't hurt racing and it's only vested interests that would have you believe that it really has.
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andyfuller
- Posts: 4619
- Joined: Wed Mar 25, 2009 12:23 pm
I was chatting with a race horse owner on Sunday who is in his 20's - lucky git won the Tote 10 to follow and near on half a million!
His understanding of the situation was crazy and just what the BHA would love you to believe. He was saying things like, we need to tackle Betfair or racing is going to die off. I asked why he thought that and he was saying that they don't pay hardly any levy to which I explained Betfair do pay the correct amount. He then went on to argue that given the huge amounts being bet on Betfair it can't be right, he was like many others under the impression that the matched amount figure is actually what is at risk - again I explained that the figure is meaningless in that respect and that imo the amount being actually bet on Betfair is tiny compared to the bookmakers.
Anyway by the end of it all I had made him realise that they would be far better off going after the off shore bookmakers than trying to tap up a few exchange users for the levy.
The worrying thing is that he is part of the Young Thoroughbred Breeders Association - the sport is doomed!
Also not so long ago I was chatting with George Hills who is part of the Hills racing family and we were discussing the future of the industry. I asked him who he thought were the most important people in racing to which unsurprisingly he said owners, when I put forward the fact it was the punters the usual response was given that they don't pay the bills etc. It ended up with me just saying you can have racing without punters but it will just be the rich racing around a field for bragging rights. The punters don't need racing as there is plenty of other things to punt on but racing needs the punter.
Go to Tattersalls when the sales are on or the Yard in Newmarket and chat to people in the industry and the same lack of understanding is apparent with just about everyone you meet - the only person I have meet that actually knew what they were talking about was Nick Littmoden. When I did a 2 year course with Darley the betting industry was treated as something that shouldn't be mentioned as it wasn't important.
I agree the sport is doomed long term.
His understanding of the situation was crazy and just what the BHA would love you to believe. He was saying things like, we need to tackle Betfair or racing is going to die off. I asked why he thought that and he was saying that they don't pay hardly any levy to which I explained Betfair do pay the correct amount. He then went on to argue that given the huge amounts being bet on Betfair it can't be right, he was like many others under the impression that the matched amount figure is actually what is at risk - again I explained that the figure is meaningless in that respect and that imo the amount being actually bet on Betfair is tiny compared to the bookmakers.
Anyway by the end of it all I had made him realise that they would be far better off going after the off shore bookmakers than trying to tap up a few exchange users for the levy.
The worrying thing is that he is part of the Young Thoroughbred Breeders Association - the sport is doomed!
Also not so long ago I was chatting with George Hills who is part of the Hills racing family and we were discussing the future of the industry. I asked him who he thought were the most important people in racing to which unsurprisingly he said owners, when I put forward the fact it was the punters the usual response was given that they don't pay the bills etc. It ended up with me just saying you can have racing without punters but it will just be the rich racing around a field for bragging rights. The punters don't need racing as there is plenty of other things to punt on but racing needs the punter.
Go to Tattersalls when the sales are on or the Yard in Newmarket and chat to people in the industry and the same lack of understanding is apparent with just about everyone you meet - the only person I have meet that actually knew what they were talking about was Nick Littmoden. When I did a 2 year course with Darley the betting industry was treated as something that shouldn't be mentioned as it wasn't important.
I agree the sport is doomed long term.
I don't think its 'doomed', I just think it will have to naturally contract a bit to reflect the actual levels of interest in it. IMO it needs to find a way not only to market itself better but also improve its standing as a sport rather than just a betting medium.
BTW Andy I expect that you'll be writing to the levy board before their review is over. Anyone who has an articulate view and an interest in trading on horse racing should be doing this
BTW Andy I expect that you'll be writing to the levy board before their review is over. Anyone who has an articulate view and an interest in trading on horse racing should be doing this