The Centaur

When will it sink thru. George, Sharrock, McKenzie, TAB Board etc. are sports industry people. Sure they may genuinely wish racing flourish but when it comes to splitting racing and sports income they are hopelessly conflicted and compromised.

https://www.theoptimist.site/ And de Lore was the guy pushing hardest for outsourcing. Perhaps he should have defined what outsourcing actually meant.

Just listened to David Bennett the National racing spokesman being interviewed by Sean Plunkett a few days ago. Clearly both were confused about the intricacies of the deal but Bennett's statement that he wasn't privy to the details is alarming. Surely the opposition should be able to function in a democracy. They should have been told particularly given the TAB's long history and public involvement with the TAB.

I would actually be alarmed at NZTR. Their silence has been shocking. Only a few aware of the details. They weren't directly party to the deal so didn't need to be secretive. They required to be consulted which meant consulting with all groups e.g. jockeys, trainers etc. Racing had leaverage over the TAB. That leverage has been lost as the sports people always wanted. Given away by George & Sharrock without a bleat.

This statement from Entain should alarm participants in racing. “We believe this 25-year strategic partnering arrangement will be a game changer for sports betting in New Zealand and we are pleased that it will help provide significant financial benefits to the three New Zealand racing codes and the vast array of national sporting organisations. Reworded "It's going to be a game changer for sports betting and with a bit of luck might benefit racing."

So where are the details of the "deal". We were promised the details when the minister approved the deal. What did NZTR know about the deal when they blatantly tried to persuade the minister. Now from NZTR we have... “Now that the approval has been given, NZTR intends to confirm the framework and test it against all budgets and industry priorities before making a formal announcement of our initiatives and stakes increases on 15 June at Karaka on the eve of the 2023 National Weanling and Broodmare Sale.” So they are happy as Larry like a boy in a lolly shop now can increase salaries and carry on as before. After all aren't we all supposed to be gullible.

As I mentioned before the conflict of interest of Sharrock, George and previously McKenzie is huge. People think just because Sharrock is from a racing family they forget Sharrock made his mark in professional sports and still involved with his firm which has links to Ladbrokes.

Bookmakers have always operated in a competitive environment. Thats why on track the bookies form whats called the ring. You just can't have bookmaking without competition. The 25 years is an amateur hour decision. Its like giving Samsung a 25 year contract to supply government phones and banning everybody else from buying any other brand from overseas. I think a strong case can be made to the Commerce Commission to stop this deal as it stands at the moment.

The asset is the monopoly. An intangible asset. Now if a government comes along and removes the monopoly what happens then? I would have thought that would be the first aspect to the agreement. Will Entain be able to sue the government? Bookmaking is all about competition. The New Zealand model is an anomaly. There is no way NZ punters will stop looking at more competitive odds overseas.

Assange, I'm trying to get you out of jail. Plenty letters etc. to politicians. I believe May24 was supposed a special day protesting. Hope its effective.

I notice that the CEO of Rugby NZ has resigned and also that there had been calls for his resignation for not fronting the media. I have never seen Mike Tod ever fronting the media. Also if the Entain deal was such a marvellous achievement one would have thought he would have stuck it out even at reduced salary.

TV one about to reveal how the racing industry has been "saved"

The National guy is just going on what the codes say. The time is now for NZTR to come out with the details if they had any.

Wow look at this... I must be blind stakemoney surely must have doubled. "Mike has done an incredible job of transforming TAB NZ since he took over as CEO at the beginning of last year. He has implemented and executed a strategy that has delivered the partnering arrangement with Entain, grown customer numbers to record levels, implemented world-first new products, lifted customer satisfaction and staff engagement scores to their highest levels in over a decade and assembled one of the best leadership teams in the industry. Our racing and sporting stakeholders are set to benefit from an outstanding legacy that he leaves."

So when the minister approved this crazy deal we were going to learn more. Instead we have ENDS Note for editors: TAB New Zealand and Entain will not be commenting further on the proposed strategic partnering arrangement until after completion on 1 June.

Oh.... so its a done deal therefore must be good. Like all their other deals OpenBet, Paddy Power, that Australian system ditched after $20M and all the deals with dodgy outfits. Yeah I know the odds I suggest you do the form. As for form analysts hope you are better than John Allen.. Launching TAB NZ’s new property, NZRB Chief Executive John Allen stated that the portal would raise vital funds for New Zealand racing stakeholders, as the governing body continues its revamp of the sport. “We estimate this initiative alone will increase returns to the industry by $17 million – $19 million in annualised profit, rising to approximately a $30 million increase in net betting profit as a result of the Fixed Odds Betting change from 2021/22,” said Allen. “Our partners on this project, OpenBet and PaddyPower Betfair are world class operators. What they have done is ensure the New Zealand TAB, a significant and valuable industry asset, can now compete with the rest of the world, increase our revenue and in turn, our distributions back to racing and sport”.

I like your first sentence. I gave my personal details to NZTAB. It was never my intention to give it to an overseas bookie with lots of other gambling sites. If TABNZ do that its another case of acting illegally.

Well you can bet Entain will be lobbying hard. NZ & McAnulty should be a pushover. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/may/21/ladbrokes-owner-entain-dishonest-lobbying-gambling-reforms

The purpose and function of setting up the TAB was to fund the Racing Industry. That is clearly stated in the Racing Act even now. No one objects to some sort of partnering or contract deal if its sound. However........ The Racing Act states: 4)TAB NZ must not enter into a partnering arrangement without written approval of the Minister. (5)In deciding whether to grant approval under subsection (4), the Minister must take into account— (a)the purposes of this Act; and (b)the objectives and functions of TAB NZ. ------------------------------------------- Any partnering deal must adhere to these first principles. The deal from the scant information provided falls over before the first base. The objectives and functions of Entain are to return profit to shareholders. This in practice will directly conflict with the objectives of the TAB. Therefore any deal must be consistent with the Act.

The whole idea was that bookmakers were undesirable be it legal or illegal. https://teara.govt.nz/en/1966/racing-horse/page-8 The public in 1949 had a say. Contrast that to now.... the TAB which the public authorized is secretly and illegally being passed to overseas bookmaker control. Where is the Kiwi "we can do it" spirit. Back in 1951 New Zealand pioneered the TAB. We didn't need overseas help .. we did it. Its just pathetic that we need an outfit like Ladbrokes which has been fleecing punters for years. n.b. the link above leads to other interesting historical facts about NZ's racing history.

ACCUSATION and I stand by it. The Entain offer to keep the current TAB staff for 2 years is a straight out bribe. Definition: bribery, the act of promising, giving, receiving, or agreeing to receive money or some other item of value with the corrupt aim of influencing a public official in the discharge of his official duties. TAB management are heavily involved influencing the racing minister and his officials and by reports will benefit with a guarantee of two years employment.

H'mm here is another site explaining eSports betting. https://www.esportsbets.com/news/unstoppable-future-of-esports-betting/ I am certain now that Entain's attempt to gain a monopoly on it in New Zealand is the real explanation for their bid. They couldn't care a fig about horse racing. I don't think the gambling act or racing act was ever written with eSports betting in mind. Lotto and Sky casino may object as Entain seems to be doing it via the back door. eSports has also nothing to do with sport nz so where does the income or commission belong? Could be ladbrokes will just assign it all to themselves.

Given that Entain wants to delve right into esports why are NZTR promoting this when some are saying esports is a threat to racing. Are NZTR that stupid?....perhaps they are.

Although TAB offers some esport betting I know nothing about it. I see Entain/Ladbrokes are heavily investing in esports. Recently they purchased a New Zealand outfit Sportsflare a software development startup. https://sportsflare.io/ https://igamingbusiness.com/strategy/ma/entain-to-acquire-esports-betting-developer-sportsflare/ Several pundits are saying esports will be a threat to horse racing https://www.g7r.com/esports/esports-growth-threatens-horse-racing-industry/ and indeed the sportsflare crowd are very bullish Esports betting to displace traditional sports wagering Hearne sees a future world where esports betting will match or displace traditional sports betting. Gamers can bet on games like CS:GO, LoL, or Dota2 or play head to head in games of Fortnite, Call of Duty, and many new games to come against millions of other like-minded gamers around the world. Add to that tournaments and events --------------------------------------- However there are warnings As esports has become increasingly mainstream and esports betting is widely accessible, it is important to understand the potential risks. Social influences can entice young esports players into gambling. Advertising techniques used by gambling operators are different to those used for traditional sports which have older audiences. Rather than getting people to sign up by offering free bets, esports betting sites use social media posts featuring gifs and memes that are funny and shareable. They don’t look like commercial content and young people – who may have had no previous interest in gambling – can be unwittingly drawn into esports betting. Another risk is a lack of esports knowledge when betting. Most esports games, like DOTA 2 or League of Legends, are quite complex and can be hard to understand without an in-depth knowledge of the games. A further concern with esports betting is match fixing, and the lack of proper anti-fraud and cheating mechanisms in place. Unethical practices seen in the industry include slowing opponents down using technology to interrupt their internet connection, taking drugs to speed up play or players choosing to lose. Finally, there is a risk of gambling addiction among people who play video games. One of the main drivers of this is loot boxes which can be earned during the game or bought with real money. The contents are hidden until after purchase with a small chance at obtaining rare items, similar to hitting a jackpot in gambling. Players are encouraged to purchase as many of these as possible, and the amount of money spent can spiral out of control.

From the Racing Act. (5) TAB NZ must publish a copy of its business plan on an Internet site maintained by or on behalf of TAB NZ. The idea obviously is for all sectors depending on funding from the TAB to know and have some input into what the TAB intends. If TAB is to operate in conjunction with Ladbrokes then all aspects of this arrangement different to the current setup must be displayed on the website.