Chief Stipe

That's not correct. Not half. The new organisation TABNZ with the approval of Government sold the sole license to operate wagering on racing and sports to ENTAIN. I've given up trying to explain that Fixed Odds increased turnover does not equal increased profit. For example if you were able to increase your turnover would you do so at a loss? You'd give up punting first or your family would seek help for you.

I don't know how many times I need to explain this to you. Yes under the Tote system the odds are always in the TAB's favour as they clip the ticket of every bet at a fixed rate. BUT with Fixed Odds they are just another punter in the market and theoretically they could lose money on every race if they didn't set their prices right. Yes they price the market in their favour but that doesn't guarantee they won't make a loss.

You assume that the jobs were real jobs. Cost efficiency only benefits the Industry. A shame this Government hasn't taken a bigger knife to slash the 15,000 extra Government employees employed under the last Government. The old TAB was run like a Government Agency and selling to ENTAIN was probably the only way to break that culture.

In most jurisdictions that I know of it is legislated. Very few agencies if any will not have some limits. Bookies are not in the game to go broke.

Increasing Turnover on Fixed Odds is not the answer. Increasing margin and profit is. What you are asking is for ENTAIN to increase Turnover by taking bigger bets at better odds but at the sure risk of losing money. How does Harness Racing win then?

Please don't encourage him Murray at this time of the moon cycle.

Who is the dominant one of the four? Self-interest drives most decision making and most of the time that is in the interests of all. Sometimes it isn't.

Bullshit. You are winding me up. What do descrbie as "laying in"? Did the inside horse run out and take CBL's line or not?

So in your opinion should have a Jockey have been questioned or was blaming the affected horse sufficienr?

@curious Stewards vision is up. Now tell me what you think and if it is different to the Stewards view.

Why?

You were on a roll until that sentence. The 'Social License" construct is a nonsense. As for your posts all you are doing is feeding the Anti-Racing very small minority or the underperformed disenfranchised. Ironically that last group doesn't want to give you the freedom to speak! Go figure!

FFS microwave transmission was last used in the '80s

I hate AI. Actually AI is an oxymoron. Artificial - yes. Intelligence - no. Actually @Murray Fish can you ask AI what intelligence is?

It is only a one handed job so you could eat/drink and work! Also you could shorten the time by getting the raceday stipes to do the testing while they watched the pre-race track gallop.

There may not be but there is down racecourse road. In fact I doubt there are many racecourses that arent. Of course Kumara doesnt which is another reason why they should have ditched it and kept Hokitika.

Ok.

An Hour? Take 10 mins. Have preinstalled mounts - take the kit out of the box - clip it in. Use an app on your phone to check the direction of the satellites and align dish. Plug in a couple of WiFi repeaters. Walk around and test.

I just don't get the "significant labour" requirement.

Who or what is "RCP"?

Telstra have a partnership with Starlink to provide remote services in Australia.

Yes but if the NZ Telco provided either a satellite link or a fibre connection then they could have leveraged off that to deliver oncourse WiFi. Perhaps they are using their Australian based Telco to work with Starlink or Starlink direct.

That's what I thought but wasn't there a requirement for Racecourses to have fibre connections?

I've been suggesting this type of access for a long time. Interesting how they have used Starlink instead of piggy-backing off their Telco contract. Next step will be cutting costs on terminal operators which is a good thing.

Wi-fi trial bringing connectivity to holiday racing venues Trackside.co.nz • January 8th, 2026 1:23 PM https://bitofayarn.com The Reefton race course crowd in early January. Credit: Trackside A trial of a new on-course Wi-Fi solution at some of New Zealand’s most remote racecourses is showing encouraging early signs, with thousands of Kiwis connecting on track across the first part of the holiday racing circuit. A 2025 review of mobile network coverage across New Zealand racecourses identified 15 thoroughbred and harness racing venues where geographic isolation meant there was limited or no access to domestic mobile networks on course.https://bitofayarn.com For holiday meetings around New Zealand – most notably in Central Otago, on the West Coast or in parts of Canterbury - coverage issues have often limited the ability to place bets online via the TAB or betcha apps. Across the 2025/26 season, those 15 venues are scheduled to host 53 race meetings, accounting for around 8.5 per cent of all race meetings across the equine codes. To address this, Entain Australia and New Zealand – the operators of TAB and Trackside – worked in partnership with the racing codes to launch a trial of a free customer Wi-Fi solution at race meetings in these locations throughout the 2025/26 season, using the latest technology available through Starlink. Entain Chief Media Officer Christopher Haigh said the trial was designed to test performance in real race-day conditions across a range of different venues. “These are very different racecourses, with different layouts and infrastructure challenges, and – in many cases – thousands of people converging on an area that is normally only home to a few hundred people,” Haigh said. “Some of these courses have facilities that are spread out across a large area, while others – like the trees at Omakau where several thousand racing fans base themselves for the day – present their own problems to solve. “At some venues, there’s the ability to service the whole track, while at other venues, the team has set up specific zones that people can use to access the wi-fi. The early results have been pleasing, particularly during peak periods when demand is highest.” https://bitofayarn.com At Motukarara on 29 December, the trial saw multiple Wi-Fi zones established across key public and wagering areas, with more than 400 individual devices connected simultaneously during the final race. At Omakau on 2 January, more than 1,000 customers connected to the network during the meeting, with consistent speeds recorded through peak betting periods. On the same day, more than 800 customers logged into the network at Tauherenikau races in the Wairarapa. Almost a third of the on-course turnover on the meeting was captured through people betting on digital channels like the TAB App. “These results show we can meaningfully improve the on-course experience, even at our most remote tracks.” The Wi-Fi trial is designed to complement existing on-course services, giving customers greater choice in how they bet, whether through on-course operators or via digital platforms. https://bitofayarn.com “We’ll use what we learn from the trial to refine the solution ahead of expanding the offering,” Haigh said.