In preparing to cover this year's Symposium on Racing and Gaming I was pleased to see that—in setting the agenda—the University of Arizona's Race Track Industry Program emphasized not only the racing aspect of that couplet but also as part of that a favorite topic of mine: marketing the wagering product.
The best lessons I ever got in racetrack marketing came in summer 1999 when I interned at the Milstein family's Northfield Park between Cleveland and Akron. The marquee out front says Cleveland's Casino, but the only gaming going on was wagering on horse racing, and in order to make the most of that opportunity, President Tom Aldrich and simulcast director Dave Bianconi (who I'm sure has a loftier title by now) went out of their way to stimulate betting. Tell patrons where the action was and make sure they could bet it and watch what they were betting on. More than 11 years and dozens of tracks later, I've never seen a facility focus on generating handle as well as Northfield did, but I've encountered plenty of whiffs.
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