Horse Racing Innovation Summit Summaries

Transcription

1 Horse Racing Innovation Summit Summaries On Monday, December 16, 2013 industry representatives gathered to exchange ideas on what the Ontario racing industry can do in the immediate to short term to better understand the racing customer and to grow revenues, attract fans and decrease costs. Participants were invited to submit innovative ideas addressing these key areas for discussions throughout the day. The last portion of the day invited participants to provide input into which ideas they liked best and thought should be pursued further. In particular, participants were asked to focus on the ideas proposed for: Increasing Wagering Increasing Fan Base Immediately below are the results of that input; listed in order from most votes to least votes. Pages 3 10 contain brief descriptions of all the submitted ideas, including those that were submitted during the Summit. Increasing Wagering W1 W5 W2 W9 W7 W8 W10 W11 W4 W6 W3 Clarify the betting process Explore new wagering ideas and offer superior customer service Dedicated slot machines for racing Real money wagering competitions New wagering product based on the game of Keno Offer a rainbow 6 bet daily Target Poker players Wager lottery game - rags to riches Encourage wagering by offering free vouchers Limit bets on specific races Eliminate all show watering Increasing Fan Base F1 F12 F20 F16 F25 F7 F15 F22 Attract high value prize/lottery players Innovation in a customer centric world OLG partnership on promotional activities New customer app Timeshare selling Horse ownership syndicate LIVE Real racing 1

2 F26 F3 F11 F10 F6 F5 F14 F24 F4 F21 F19 F13 F8 F17 F9 F18 F2 F23 Wannadrive program Centralized website for the industry Increased opportunity for interaction Increase attention on horses/jockeys Encourage families to go to the races Day at the races package Introduction to horse racing broadcast Targeted customer incentives Daily video highlights Publicity blitz Ontario horse racing festival Intern journalists Host other events On track special events In-house fantasy league at each track Ontario fair racing for standardbreds Bimonthly column Syndicate partnership for fans 2

3 INNOVATIVE IDEAS Below is a brief summary of the ideas submitted by Summit participants. 1. Increasing Wagering (W) W1. Clarify the Betting Process Jaclyn Goldman Signs that clearly illustrate the main types of bets that can be made. For instance, LARGE posters near the betting areas clearly indicating how to place the various Trutina Pharmacy types of bets. Having dedicated staff at a kiosk to answer betting related questions people may have so they won t be intimidated to line up at the actual betting area. W2. Dedicated Slot Machines for Racing Paul Garrison Provide current slots customers with the ability to bet on the day s races using slot Garrison Equine machines that are set up in the slots area. Would also help increase the fan base. W3. Eliminate all show wagering Bill O Donnell Central Ontario Standardbred W4. Encourage Wagering by Offering Free Vouchers Paul Cooper Random $2.00 vouchers passed out with a tutorial on how to bet the more complicated wagers, along with horse and jockey post cards with wagering instructions. More exotic wagers (e.g., rolling daily doubles). W5. Explore New Wagering Ideas and Offer Superior Customer Service Greg Blanchard New wagering ideas should be explored, especially those outside the pari-mutuel model that take advantage of the latest technology. The Raceway at Western Fair This type of innovation, along with superior customer service, will be the cornerstones to success in the future. District W6. Limit Bets on Specific Races E.g., Races 1 & 2 Win-Place-Daily Double Wagering Races Win-Place-Trifecta Wagering only Races Win-Place-Exacta Wagering only Races Win-Place-Supefecta Wagering Races 8-9 Late Pick 4 Races Rainbow Pick 6 with carry over W7. New Wagering Product based on the Game of Keno Offer ~8 races which are run over the course of ~20 minutes with Minimum wager (low takeout) of $1 with graduated payouts if a ticket had 5, 6, 7 or 8 winners. Goal is to create a quick action slot like game using horse races as the vehicle. W8. Offer a Rainbow 6 Bet daily Guarantee the bet at $100,000 and pay 50% daily to the winners with the remainder being carried over until there is only one winner. Only one winner. Pay out at the end of current race meet or on a specified date. Integrate into the OLG with the ability to purchase tickets through their provincial distribution channels/centers. Bill O Donnell Central Ontario Standardbred Eric Poteck Horseplayer Bill O Donnell Central Ontario Standardbred 3

4 W9. Real Money Wagering Competitions Brian Tropea All tracks would participate. Ontario Harness Possibly a series with qualifiers leading to the main event, similar to poker events. Horse W10. Target Poker Players Introduce poker players to horse racing and mentor them into becoming bettors. Pinsonneault, Research indicates that poker players are more similar to horse racing bettors than lottery or slots players. From discussions with the OLG, the introduction of electronic poker games at and Mohawk have resulted in strong poker traffic at these sites. The opportunity, through the use of the OLG customer relationship management database, is to invite high value poker players to an exclusive event at the track. The event would have a hospitality component and provide free trial play, excellent coaching and personalized experience to engage these customers in betting on horse racing. Frequent follow-up and mentoring of these high-value players could result in an increase in handle. W11. Wager / Lottery Game Rags to Riches Race of the Day Gary McNichol Daily, the ORC (?) wouldpick one race, full field, to be the Rags to Riches Race of QROOI the Day from amongst the Race Card from all tracks with racing that day. The race would be identified on the ORC website with usual betting criteria and would be shown in all active track race programs for that day as Race 11. Bets would be accepted at all tracks. W12. Link Horse Racing with OLG Lotteries Link horse tickets with local lotteries or to standard lottery tickets Develop and distribute a product that leverages racing content and generates incremental revenue for both the OLG and horse racing through OLG s existing lottery network Offer pick 3s and 4s and one super on OLG network daily W13. Close Slots during Races W14. Increase Advertising Run TV and radio commercials to advertise live racing W15. Large Event Hold a Kentucky Derby-type of day at least two times a year so and invite people to come out and dress up in their hats. Hand out flowers to winners and trainers. W16. Form a Committee with OLG The goal of the Committee would be to find solutions and revenue ideas that benefit both parties. W17. Form a Committee with OLG The goal of the Committee would be to find solutions and revenue ideas that benefit both parties. 4

5 2. Increasing the Fan Base (F) F1. Attract High Value Prize / Lottery Players Use a $1 million prize to generate awareness, interest and trial betting on horse racing through mass advertising in Ontario and lottery-like branding (e.g. $1 million Megapick). Build promotion around big televised race or series of races with free entry and registration. On-line and/or on-track with some betting/horse racing education. The $1 million payout would be based on the correct selection of the order of finish of the race or series of races and would be insured but there would be consolation prizes to ensure that there are winners to promote. This would generate strong awareness and a database of new customer trialers for future mining. F2. Bimonthly Column An entertaining bimonthly column (internet only) on specific proposals that can be implemented to help Canadian harness racing as it moves forward. F3. Centralized Website for the Industry Create a centralized website that would be advertised in all race programs Content would be directed at potential fans/customers and used as an advertising tool to update people on special events, promotions, etc. F4. Daily Video Highlights Provide daily highlights of daily races and send to local media for evening sporting news summaries similar to other sports. F5. DAY AT THE RACES package The package could include food/buffet, a handicapping tool, a $5 WPS wager per race, a tour plus other value activities. Offer a discount on the betting voucher, e.g., $5 per races equals $50, value it as $25-35 in the package. Would highlight the recreational / entertainment values of the sport. The concept is that you can have a fun night or day of VALUE entertainment at the track even if you do not win a race. F6. Encourage Families to go the Races Together Advertise a family friendly environment and offer a family package deal (e.g., $30 buffet for 2, kids eat free, $5 betting money) to get everyone out to the races. F7. Horse Ownership Syndicate Important to develop new investors to participate through ownership, breeding, driving, training or wagering. The objective would be to introduce 500 new owners to the sport who will be educated about harness racing and experience ownership of a Standardbred horse in a positive light. Customers / fans may purchase shares of the horse to be part of the ownership syndicate. Shares would be sold as an entertainment experience ($100- $200 per share) more than an investment opportunity. Owners would attend the races, be invited out to the training centre/farm where the horse is stabled and to industry/major racing events which would enrich the experience and build a connection between the horse and the owners. Pinsonneault, Bob Carson Brian Tropea Ontario Harness Horse J. Doug Patton Eric Poteck Horseplayer Jaclyn Goldman Trutina Pharmacy Kathy Wade Vlaar Standardbred Canada 5

6 The horse would be Ontario bred (3 years old +) and the trainer would be based out of an easily accessible training centre for the majority of syndicate members. Target audience is adults (could target groups, clubs, sports leagues, etc.). Program marketing and communication between owners and the organizers/trainer would rely heavily on Social Media tools. F8. Host Other Events Encourage an event feel when going to the races. For example, concerts could be held after racing on Fridays and Saturdays. F9. In-House Fantasy League at Each Track Raises the probability of maintaining interest after initial introduction to the sport. F10. Increase Attention on Horses/Jockeys Winning horses and/or jockeys should get increased exposure/attention just like professional human athletes so fans can follow them, be encouraged to go to the races/watch the sport. Some examples include: o Playing/trading cards (just like baseball player cards) for each top equine athlete. A portion of the sales could go to the purses, racetrack etc. These can be kid friendly so that children can get involved with their family in the sport at a young age, hopefully maintain an interest in the sport as they become adults when they are old enough to bet. o Merchandise jockey hats/jersey, hats featuring horses name F11. Increased Opportunity for Interaction Open the backstretch during live racing in a controlled environment with a guide. A breakfast each weekend with trainers and owners present and presentations regarding relevant topics and barn tours. Fans should be able to watch races from the bleachers. Grass racing from that vantage point lends a new perspective. Allow patrons to watch horses walk from barns to the tunnel. We need to allow more interaction with horses/trainers and fans. Trainers to offer regular front side seminars discussing their horses racing on a particular day, as well as regular seminars on a horses anatomy. F12. Innovation in a Customer Centric World [presentation] A new initiative being tested in Southern Ontario. Engagement marketing using mobile solutions to connect youth with the outdoors Small market communities can gain the capability to reach wider consumer markets and build lasting relationships necessary for growing their business. By focusing on providing consumers with what they want, rural communities and businesses will be able to redefine and reposition themselves to align with the latest market expectations to gain new consumers, enhance loyalty, and increase brand awareness. F13. Intern Journalists / Increase Media Awareness Deduct 1-2% of purses to support interning journalists to promote local harness horses and personnel in the media. Identify and support the efforts of media personnel with demonstrated interest in horses and racing. Paul Cooper Brian Tropea Ontario Harness Horse Jaclyn Goldman Trutina Pharmacy Paul Cooper Doug Matatall TecVana Corporation J. Doug Patton 6

7 F14. Introduction to Horse Racing / Educational Broadcast Series Will also increase wagering. Re-introduce a televised/on-line series to engage and educate customers on how to bet on horse racing (e.g. Bet Night Live). Bet Night Live, the series, which aired on The SCORE and was produced by, employed a contest format and 4 live races per card to educate and engage new and existing customers to bet on Thoroughbred and Standardbred horse racing. HorsePlayer Interactive (HPI) facilitated betting through the account wagering platform. New customers could register and receive $24 in free play to try their hand at horse racing. Over 3 years the show generated over 3,000 new HPI customers and over $15 million in wagering. The average TV audience was 17,000 per show. Web streaming could be an alternate distribution method. F15. LIVE [presentation] WhatWins' LIVE product is best compared to "HootSuite for Harness Racing" but with different functionality. A Social Media Solution designed to attract a younger demographic to the sport. Eliminates the huge learning curve for "newbies" while providing a competitive advantage for both new and seasoned gamers. F16. New Customer App Introduce a free-to-play, multi-platform (e.g. PC, mobile, tablet) betting interface using a simplified presentation of live product and elements of social game play, betting education and competition. The app has to assume every player will come with zero knowledge of horse racing but can choose how quickly they advance to more complex betting types. The system needs to interest short-term (5-10 minute) players as well as those willing to bet for longer periods of time (2+ hours). A key component to the success of this project will be the ability to convert these players to real-money-play. F17. On-Track Special Events Expand special events in collaboration with tracks and horse people, similar to Grand River, Western Fair, Hanover, Clinton et al. Develop and maintain links with local community special events. Maintain consistent race days and start times year round with annual events for targeted communities. F18. Ontario Fair Racing for Standardbreds Support and re-develop with ORC supervision and OMAF and MRA support. F19. Ontario Horse Racing Festival Market, brand and promote an Ontario Horse Racing Festival to be held at community and small town racetracks across the province based loosely on the Carnival model utilized with great success in Australia and New Zealand. The branded events would be organized and managed centrally with a focus on entertainment, wagering and high quality horse racing. Each event would become an important tourist draw for local towns and jurisdictions, and ensure high quality horse racing takes place at currently underutilized facilities. Revenues would be generated through sponsorship, wagering handles, modest admission charges, food and beverage sales, and associated special events and Pinsonneault, Dave Vicary WhatWins Pinsonneault, J. Doug Patton J. Doug Patton Kathy Wade Vlaar Standardbred Canada 7

8 parties. The goal is to ensure that high quality horse racing takes place at tracks across Ontario in a way that promotes the sport in a positive light. In addition to current rural racetracks, this model could also be expanded to take place at Agricultural fairs across the province as well. Lower costs and maximize benefits by centralizing the operation and management using Standardbred Canada s widespread communication vehicles and leveraging Ontario Tourism s and Festivals and Events resources. F20. Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG) Partnership on Promotional Activities J. Doug Patton Partner with OLG on their already existing extensive promotional activities. F21. Publicity Blitz Guylaine Paquin First step in increasing revenues is building awareness. Quarter Racing Focus on increasing awareness of entertainment value of racing by inundating sports facets with racing stories, figures, upcoming events, etc. Owners of Ontario Inc. Create hype/buzz by encouraging large newspapers to include a weekly horse racing (member) report or section. Generate/report on public interest stories that promote emotional investment to and a sense of reliability with the industry. Secure a celebrity (athlete) to endorse the Ontario racing industry through a series of publicity spots. F22. Real Racing [Presentation] Robin Dawson About providing all codes of horse racing in Canada with a daily presence and a catchy brand name: Horse Racing is Real Racing...Be a Player! Real Racing, as a vehicle of OLG, could promote horse racing of all codes every day via a wide media platform, fueled by simple FREE entry games such as DREAM TEAM and GHOST RIDERS. Even though they ll be loss leaders at the outset, they will introduce the public to a host of intriguing, dramatic and live games and wagers, through which they will learn about horses and form allegiances with jockeys and trainers. The next step could easily be to regulate a global series of Sweepstakes on major races around the world, in conjunction with the like of PMU, TAB etc. F23. Syndicate Partnership for Fans Paul Cooper F24. Targeted Customer Incentives The racing industry needs to attract a younger customer base while keeping current/older customers happy. Reward current customers with free programs, free non-alcoholic beverages, and Jim McGrogan Flamboro Downs / Georgian Downs possibly food discounts, etc. Make sure that new / young fans have a memorable experience; focus on making it easy for them to make and understand a bet with Wagering Ambassadors, beginner betting windows, and a mobile wagering app. Make the track a hip place to be through extra amenities (pool tables, dart boards, bar top electronic games, sporting events on TVs). Offer Paddock tours, Wanna Drive, Driver Meet and Greet, Mini Horse Races as they are all great experiences for the first time customer. Build a social media platform to reach a younger customer and keep them engaged. F25. Timeshare Selling Eric Poteck Investigate the feasibility of adopting the Timeshare method of selling. Horseplayer Offer a free handicapping seminar to introduce newbies to the game. Upon 8

9 completion of the seminar participants receive (for free) a $2 wager (W, P or S) for each race on the card. Requiring wagers on each race on the card gets newbies into rhythm of the game. Restricting wagers to WPS greatly increases the chances they will cash a ticket. By giving them 3 free opportunities to learn and play the game offers a wonderful opportunity to convert them to Horseplayers. Depending on the investment needed, perhaps you can offer a series of beginner, intermediate, expert seminars. F26. Wannadrive Program and Other Interactive Opportunities Brian Tropea Interaction is one of the keys to growing a fan base, whether with industry participants (e.g., trainers and drivers) or with the horses at the track. Ontario Harness Horse Fan experience is heightened with interaction, e.g., the Wannadrive Program, part of the Hands on Horses Programs, that allows fans the unique opportunity of riding around the racetrack with an industry participant on selected nights and gives them the opportunity to discuss the industry with an insider and ask questions in an informal environment, both before and during the rise. Photos are generally taken and posted to social media sites where they can then be shared and downloaded by the fans themselves. F27. Have events/entertainment between races F28. Ensure that all staff at racetracks (e.g., tellers) provide excellent and friendly customer service F29. Province-wide media campaign Print, radio and TV Hire a full-time marketing expert for the industry F30. Link into the EquiMania! Online Learning Community To maintain connections in between races and helps generate both fans and future employees. Would help keep fans engaged by offering interactive materials and links to other events. F31. Create a family friendly environment E.g., build playgrounds to keep kids occupied 3. Decreasing Costs (C) C1. Racing Alliance / Integration with Provincial Gaming Strategy The Raceway at Western Fair District fully embraces the concept of change and innovation as we move into a new era for Ontario horse racing. We feel that a new racing Alliance, along with integration into the Provincial gaming strategy, will provide racing with the tools and resources to compete in the highly competitive gaming landscape. It will also support cost savings for and shared resources for the racetracks. Greg Blanchard The Raceway at Western Fair District 9

10 4. Understanding the Racing Customer (R) R1. Customer Research Study The Raceway is currently engaged in a customer research study along with Grand River Raceway, Hanover Raceway and Clinton Raceway in an effort to better understand our customers and enhance their live racing experience. R2. Target New Customers Determine postal codes in Ontario that provide the highest potential to yield new customers. Third party psycho/demographic profiling data can be used to identify postal codes in Ontario that have a higher propensity to include gamblers. This data can then be segmented into customer types with lifestyle and media habits that improve the marketer s ability to target offers to higher potential customers. By layering on Horseplayer Interactive data, a map can be developed to identify the postal codes of highest value to horse racing. This combination provides a rich source of potential horse racing customers. A key success factor for this project is to develop direct mail pieces that appropriately incent these customers to attend and try horse racing. R3. On-Board New Customers Develop a new customer on-boarding process, from trial through ongoing customer relationship management, to develop new customers into bettors. In the early days, family members and close friends introduced and mentored these people. In the absence of this activity and with a myriad of gambling/entertainment options available, the industry needs to ensure that each new customers introduced to horse racing have the best chances of becoming betting customers. This result could be supported with a simpler, systemic on-boarding process. WEG has made a lot of progress with the First Bet Is On Us promotion where a new customer registers to receive a free bet followed by education on how to bet through an automated teller machine. Registration captures addresses, which facilitates on-going communications. Offers are sent to these customers with the objective of engaging them in future activities. WEG has also developed a New Bettor Zone and How to Bet guide. A more holistic approach to the on-boarding process with the addition of education pieces delivered through s and other touchpoints, and implementation across the industry, could help ensure that more new customers become long-term bettors. R4. Leverage Other Events Use other evens to draw the customer to racing and keep them returning. Concerts and other crowd draws can be leveraged to attract new customers. Highlight the entertainment value of the sport. Greg Blanchard The Raceway at Western Fair District Pinsonneault, Pinsonneault, Rik Hudson Quarter Horse Racing 10