A Day At The Races
While the horse racing market is one of the biggest gambling markets in the world, how many people who gamble on the horses have actually been to a horse race meeting? Surprisingly, many people who have a major interest in horse racing have never actually been to a meeting, never felt the buzz of seeing your horse flash past the post, never experienced the thrills and spills of a full racing card.
In the past horse racing courses have often been very basic, with only the simplest of amenities with many areas of the stands wide open to the elements. However, there have been some dramatic changes over the last few years, with millions of pounds ploughed in to improve facilities, adding hotels and casinos and improving the standing and seating areas for the fans. It is only of late that many have realised the value of the assets which they are sitting on, the value of the land and the very low return on investment in comparison.
We are starting to see a new type of track, ones which offer some of the best amenities around, the best service and better access routes. Horse racing has actually entered the family day out arena, offering a unique atmosphere of enjoyment and anticipation, highs and disappointment. For those who have not yet been to a meeting, they are really missing out on a great day (or evening) out.
Many of the online gambling sites have arrangements with some of the largest race tracks around the country, routinely offering free of reduced tickets to their members. This has helped to increase attendance figures, which have been slowly rising for some time, as well as the increased turnover on horse race betting.
If anything, the recent actions by the authorities against parties looking to take advantage of the sport have given the traditional race goer a little more confidence in the sport - a sport fit for Kings!