Brodie

Gamma, no problem whatsoever with the TAB putting maximum amounts being wagered by punters! My point and always has been is that the TAB discriminate against certain punters by restricting them and not others! They restrict Brodie and others to pathetically low amounts and yet they allow others to offload $13k and $40k without any problem!! The fact that this punter is not be a good punter should not give him/her any more rights from the TAB than the restricted punters! They are ethically and morally wrong and the punter that had the $40k on and won will not have restrictions placed on them despite winning $80k! Have restrictions and minimum amounts you are allowed to win but every punter should have the same opportunity!

Gamma, you say that 90% of punters lose? If that is the case it would then appear that 10% win, so the TAB is making plenty as the odds are always in their favour! And yet, those 10% of winners are not allowed to win by the TAB as they are being restricted to pathetic amounts being able to be won?? So how on earth is this actually allowed to be legal?? Ethically and morally wrong and yet they get away with it!

Well that letter as posted, did come from a previous HRNZ CEO as It appears!! The Committee being formed and not before time, will surely be seeing those and things are going to get very interesting you would imagine?

TAB, “same ole same ole” you are correct! Before Entain came along, the NZ TAB was in trouble and needed financial assistance and people to assist to keep it going! Yes there has been a lot of money chucked into increasing stakes and bonuses for a promised 5 years. Of course this is beneficial for many, however nothing is being done to be beneficial after this 5 years period! Yes there is plenty of advertising to get new punters and owners etc. into the game but they also are turning away existing loyal customers. I am pleased that you think that they are doing a great job at the moment as well, and what they are currently doing is going to allow the once great harness industry to flourish! Brodie and most people I know are more than worried about the future despite what the media is saying! Time will tell obviously who is right and as I say more than happy to be wrong this time. Not sure how you think that there money is being spent wisely as ut just isnt’t. I do believe that the way HRNZ are spending the cash is mismanagement as no business can operate like this and expect to be around in the future. Good punting.

TAB, great to have initiatives that are positive for harness racing without doubt! Can you unequivocally state that you believe that shelling out $720,000 times 5 so $3,600,000 thats right $3.6 million in stakes for owners of horses bred to cheap stallions is going to be the best way to spend it, vor the benefit of harness? Anyway good that you comment as that is what we need, people expressing their view! The reality is that this series is only due to the Entain cash splash or it would not be happening. Have no confidence in many of the decisions being made and happy to be wrong for the future success of harness racing! At the end of the day time will tell who is correct as we look back in 2 or 3 years time on BOAY! The committee that is coming will hopefully sort things out and effect change?

HRNZ may well have promised this series for 5 years! No way on earth will they be paying out as much as $60k per race after Entain’s cash splash is finished! So breeding to a $5k stallion this season so they can race in this series in the next few years means the horse being bred will be outside the 5 years!!

Now I am very worried! Crazy!! So where is the money coming from Ranga?

There will be plenty of stallions currently standing for under. The thing is this initiative this year for these races for $60k will be a one off, as the industry realistically just can not afford to run these races of punting proceeds, so highly doubt they will continue! Entains money is not never ending!

Gamma, you are totally correct about death bell tolls for harness without doubt unless the ones make decisions actually start running it as a business! The fact is that those making the decisions are getting paid handsomely at the moment and so it is not them that are going to suffer financially! Seriously if it was coming out if their own pocket there would be no way on earth they would be blowing the one chance harness had of surviving. Just very disappointing that we have people in roles that are just not up to the task.

Gamma, great that you can race in Queensland 2 or 3 times a week for at least $4k. They should never have closed the Parklands course to build those hideous coloured boxes! Thing is, when the funding from Entain finishes they may well be needing to race for stakes half of what they are currently racing for here. If this is the case I highly suspect that the industry will crash big time as I reckon with the cost of having a horse trained will not justify racing one. Owners are getting older snd the young ones will not be entering into new ownerships! Problem currently is that HRNZ I personally believe are mismanaging things and this will probably come out once the committee does the due diligence on what is happening with the Entain cash splash wastage! More than happy to not be on the money on this one?

The thing is that I feel that the greyhound industry has not protested hard enough. Someone needed to take the bull by the horns and led the participants to actually fight for their industry! I reckon too many are just accepting of what they are told to do, apathy is rife in NZ it was shown during the Covid scam. Defies total logic when they say that greyhounds who chase without being forced to is cruel? What is more cruel is that this decision to cancel dog racing is going to make the greyhound extinct in NZ within a few years! This is cruel and yet the greyhound people continue to race without significant protest? Once the industry is closed it is gone forever so they need to fight their cause!

It reads that the taxpayer is going to be paying Entain money to enable them to fulfil the 900m obligation! They are hypocrites if they think it needs to ban greyhounds in NZ as they think it is cruel and yet they are endorsing the cruelty of greyhound racing in Australia, by accepting wagering on them!! NZ greyhound people are being totally shafted! How can anyone with any common sense be able to justify the anomalies?

Reality is that harness racing is not travelling well despite the picture that HRNZ is trying to paint! Not sure when this committee that Winstone wants is going to be formed and take action? Yes for some they think thinks are going well for harness but it is being held together by the money that come from Entain, but that is going to finish! Then we find out that the NZ Government taxpayer is shelling out tens of millions to Entain and then they get 50% of the online gambling and sports profit?? McAnulty signed off on one hell of a bad deal for NZ and a great deal for Entain, but then again so many appallingly bad things occurred when Labour was in control of NZ.

They didnt honour this! Sent heaps away early from what I have heard, no need cir them when work is bring done from OZ! Not sure how many are actually still on the payroll but would not think there be many at all left?

Na all is Rosey, Brad Steele says so! Plenty of money left from Entain, even though the NZ Government is actually shelling out tens of millions to Entain so they do not lose as much according to Greyhound Racing NZ. HRNZ need to take their blinkers off and start acting financially fiscally.

New analysis details Government annual gift of $119m to multinational gambling company Greyhound Racing New Zealand has released new analysis detailing the extent to which the Government is financially supporting a multinational gambling giant. It comes as the Government is expected this week to pass the Racing Industry Amendment Bill into law, creating a digital monopoly on gambling for Entain. The analysis, prepared by an independent consultant, details the financial help required for Entain to meet its funding guarantee of $150m per year to the racing industry. The funding guarantee, combined with a guarantee to retain approximately 450 TAB staff until June 2025, were set under the terms of the agreement when the TAB’s betting business was outsourced to Entain in 2023. The analysis estimates in dollar terms the value of the Government’s support to bail out Entain so it can limit its losses in meeting the terms of its deal until 2029. The passage of legislation to block New Zealanders from gambling offshore will boost Entain annual revenues by at least $75m per year. The retention of gambling on Australian greyhounds after the ban comes into effect, will preserve Entain gross betting revenues of approximately $44m per year. Without these actions by the Government, Entain would be faced with an estimated revenue deficit of $26m per year. Greyhound Racing New Zealand CEO Edward Renell said: “The Government has chosen to bail out a multinational gambling company at the expense of ordinary Kiwis. “It will shamelessly pass laws and create digital monopolies so Entain can meet its funding guarantees and obligations to private shareholders. “Entain won’t need to compete to win new revenue as it was brought in to do. It will be gifted it by banning Kiwis from using non-Entain betting providers and retaining gambling on Australian greyhound racing. “The decision to keep taking money from Australian greyhound races, but strip thousands of regional Kiwis of their livelihoods and passion, is depressingly cynical and hypocritical. “Gross income of $44 million dollars each year will now be sliced up between the Government, Entain and the equine codes and not go to the thousands of trainers, owners, and breeders involved in greyhound racing. “It’s a reverse Robin Hood. The Government is taking money from the provinces to save face on a bad deal and keep the money flowing into Entain, thoroughbred and harness racing.” /Ends For further information contact: Liam Constable – 029 200 9842 EDITORS NOTES Timeline of Entain – TAB deal: March 2023: TAB and Entain agreed to enter a strategic partnership agreement where TAB has delegated its betting and wagering functions to Entain. May 2023: The partnership was approved by then Racing Minister Labour’s Kieran McAnulty, outsourcing TAB’s monopoly betting operation to Entain for 25 years, a UK-listed multinational. 50% revenue share between Entain and the TAB. May 2023: TAB sought a variation to its authorisation of its arrangements with Tabcorp to reflect strategic partnership with Entain. June 2023: The partnership officially started on June 1, 2023. Entain Guarantees under the terms of sale: Entain provided TAB $150 million upfront a with a guaranteed $150 million for the first five years. $10 million sponsorship for racing carnivals. On passage of the Racing Amendment bill into law: $100 million payment from Entain, $80 million to be shared between thoroughbred and harness racing Entain committed to no forced redundancies for first 24 months of the agreement, due to expire this month (June 2025). Book value of Entain’s TAB licence assets, if the Racing Amendment legislation goes through: According to Entain’s March 2025 annual report, the estimated value of the New Zealand TAB licence assets was $2.7 billion NZD, including the potential introduction of the legislation.

Has anyone read the letter from Greyhound Racing NZ? They state that the Government is actually paying Entain tens of millions of dollars every year so that Entains losses for the money they are donating to racing for the 5 years is not as great! You couldn't make this shit up! And yet they will get 50% of all the sports and online gambling profits ? Yeah great deal TAB, you have been ripped off! RIP racing in NZ

Great that Chief runs BOAY to enable people to discuss things racing! Firstly, no one is going to be breeding next year to $5k stallions so they can race in these $60k races! This will be a one off just to get rid of the Entain promised money, and HRNZ are doing this very well going by the many poor decisions bring made. Not sorry to state that we can have absolutely no confidence in the future of harness racing in this country if we believe that those making the decisions currently, have its best interests at heart!! No media beef up is going to help things, and there is no way on earth any successful business would be operating like this. Anyway, nothing anyone on BOAY can do or say that will stop this wasteful spending that will end poorly for harness racing in NZ! We need this committee formed ASAP and potentially take control of what is happening.

Pleased you started the post Galah! Great that HRNZ are trying things and easy to pick faults in anything! Firstly this initiative is only possible due to the funds being gifted from Entain as it would not be possible from racing profits! The elephant in the room is just not being addressed and this is the problem. How many stallions are eligible for being under the $5k? Personally think it is going to be hard to fill these 12 races with horses that qualify in several of the categories? Seems a helluva big stake to be racing for and just seems like get rid of the Entain cash splash without any future forward gains? Spend it while we are getting it appears to be the attitude doesnt it?

the consistently unfair standing starts over 2000metres continue! They need to either stop having them or get a starter who knows what he or she is doing? It is not professional and a poor indictment on harness racing! Anyone could start standing starts far better than what is happening. There were horses in a full blown run up prior to the tape being let go and he thinks that is fair? seriously?? HRNZ act now they have to be cleaned up or just have mobiles!

Interesting, think the TAB may have learnt its lessen with Stonewall horses? They are opening them at unders to see what happens, and not to encourage! Race 7 at Addington Mandala, you would think was big unders? $2.80 for a standing start 2000m with unruly horse?

Casino gamblers are exactly that! Gamblers and you can not win there long term! The NZ TAB is a gambling agency that has the monopoly on horse racing in NZ. They put up the odds for people to take and yet they have got no appetite for letting certain punters that want to take the TAB on with the odds offered! They advertise that they are concerned for those punters that are not good gamblers or can not afford to lose! Lol They encourage people to wager by offering bonus bets and bonus cash back and yet they also heavily restrict those that can afford to lose? Poor decision making and Flawed business plan and is coming home to roost! Can the committee turn things around?

Gamma, great to see the TAB taking these larger bets, and not talking $1k @ $1.90! That is not a large bet in this day and age! TAB need to be encouraging the larger scale punters to offload, rather than restrict many! Yes they will suffer some losses but overall they have the advantage! The thing is it takes so many smaller scale punters to wager to get anywhere near the larger offloading punter!!z Why they do not utilise this is very hard to fathom?

So why not let some of the restricted punters on for reasonable amounts to see if they can pluck $ off them? At the end of the day the odds are always in favour of the TAB? Where is their sporting spirit??

Great that the TAB are advising us of these so called big bets. Some are not big bets when you compare it to the 40k last week! Not sure whether these big bets are coming from many different punters, but all I can say is there are some very poor punts being made! $13k On Music Mistress at $2.20 drawn 9 in that field was in my humble opinion to be not worth the risk whatsoever! Anyway not my money and the TAB will be happy to allow that punter on for what they want, whereas some other punters are left to battle to get what they can on! Come On TAB, play fair and if you are allowing some on for $13k or $40k, would be only fair to let all punters on for realistic amounts. Increase turnover and get the harness industry flourishing!