AATA Conference

SUBJECT: AATA conference
DATE: Wednesday 25 January 2017
RELEASED BY: Phumelela Gaming and Leisure Ltd

Millennials, those aged between 18 and 34, surprisingly proved to be the all-consuming topic at today’s first Asia Africa Tote Association (AATA) conference to be held in South Africa.
“This age group is by far the largest on the planet, it comprises your future customers, punters and racegoers – and they are spoiled for choice,” said Mark Steinhobel, chairman of leading market group VWV, speaking to his Kenilworth audience. “Everybody wants a piece of their action and to get it, racing is going to have to give these people the experiences they are looking for.
“So what can you do?” he added before answering his own question. “For a start you can stop taking yourselves so seriously. I know the traditions of racing go back a long way and while you may alienate some of the older racegoers, the alternative is a long slow slide into obscurity.”
Steinhobel referred to a recent survey asking millennials what would persuade them to go racing at the Cape Town course. The top answers were a party, free booze and the Met. “What I can also tell you is that if they do go, and find it a compelling experience, thousands and thousands will hear about it.”
He also proposed the use of jockey cams for live pictures of the races, this to be relayed on people’s phones as well as on TV. His other suggestion of using Kenilworth for drone-racing didn’t seem to go down quite so well!
Phumelela betting boss Vee Moodley brought up racing’s credibility. “Racing has a bad image. The first question people ask me is ‘Is racing crooked?” Steinhobel’s answer is for the stipes to use camera-equipped drones flying over the runners.
Tellytrack chief Rob Scott called for the industry to employ more people of the millennial age group and for those in the industry to embrace what these people want.
He said: “Trainers and jockeys don’t want things like digital and loud music that are entertaining these people because they feel it interferes with the horses – and theirs are the biggest voices in racing.”
Phumelela boss Riaan du Plessis also called for change to attract and cater for the younger racegoers, saying: “We have got to reach them but, if we can only offer them the same, that is no good - and if we keep doing what we did in the past we will fail.”
He wants the start of the races to be repositioned to making racing more of a spectator sport. “The percentage of races starting in front of the crowd in this country is only 2% so we are losing one of the most exciting parts.”
However, Paul Cross of Australian wagering company Tabcorp made the point that racing is still hugely popular, just that the way of watching it has changed.
He explained: “Many people argue that racing is in the doldrums with less and less people going but in fact there are more eyeballs watching racing today than there have ever been.”
He also emphasised the importance of the millennials and said Australian harness racing has recently banned the use of the whip – partly in response to complaints from the younger audience.
Ten minutes later a worried-looking Neil Andrews, who was master of ceremonies, got to his feet and said: “I am very perturbed. My girlfriend has just phoned to say she has heard that they are banning whips and how do I feel about this?”
GBI chairman Richard Brooke spoke, in a rather more serious vein, about the success of racing in Britain and said: “Six million people went racing last year. It’s popular, well-attended and big business.”

Other speakers:
Dion Chang, founder of Flux Trends, on what the trends mean for the world of betting and said: “People come for the event, drink the champagne but don’t become customers. That is the challenge for racing.”
Adrian Ford, general manager of Football Dataco, on the lessons that racing can learn from football.
Richard Cheung, chairman of the Asia Africa Tote Association, on “embracing the new world.”

first either change the way horses are handicapped or its enforcement.I cannot see anyone staying loyal to the sport if merit is neither predictable or unregulated

has riaan du plessis ever been to a race meeting?his recommendation regarding the repositioning of the start of the race in front of the crowd is the most pathetic thing iv ever heard ever..what does he want the finish of the race to be in different parts of the back straight according to the distance of the race...way to many non racing people trying to figure out solutions for racing and you get the oz and british heads telling the dumbfcuks from phum that racing is thriving in their countries and our lot have no answer...it seems that our lot put this show on just to try please the racing community that they trying to do something about the industry whereby the best thing they can do is fcuk off

I shudder at this kind of thinking ....so an expert was paid to establish that a party and free booze would be enticing!...no shit!
Should the question not be "what would influence you to spend your gambling money on horses?"

Interesting that the target market that has been identified, flocked to the poker explosion and made up the largest percentage of subscribers on the Piggs Peak Poker site!!!!
Newsflash guys...those players were playing behind a laptop without any party ,free booze and no visual entertainment other than pictures of their 7 cards!
That suggests that the gambling instinct exists in sufficient young people to achieve racings financial goals ...but racing is not their choice,even after the poker sites were shut down.
They just don't trust it,as identified by Vee Moodly(and mentioned frequently on this forum)and racing does nothing to dispel that image.
I am prepared to bet that over 90% of punters ,just here on ABC,did not start punting because of parties or booze and the visual entertainment is watching your bet compete with other horses(and it is fascinating that somebody might think watching starts would be more exciting than the finish!)
Racing will never get the right answers until it starts asking the right questions.

i was not invited this year.

18-34 sly

This wants too make me vomit. What a load of Sh... These guys have no idea, its actually shocking.

Thinks its time to learn how to pay poker or Domino's . Unbelievable. For how many years have we tried the University angels and all this rubbish . I remember a few years ago , WC racing invited 50 high profiled students to a day , think it was the day Cold as Ice got scratched. The RA room was packed drinks were flowing and eating like kings , walked around and asked so who do you like in the next race,. they had no clue , they were there to party not to Punt and Certainly not to Buy a race horse.