RITA Breaks New Record!!

[Chief Stipe]

Well the publishing of the Half-Yearly Report from RITA(NZRB) has never been this late before.  I've looked back 12 years (gave up after that) and the latest was 1 May 2017.

 

[curious]

Probably hard to get the necessary massaging with the social distancing requirements. I did ask Saundry to comment the other day but either the question never got to him or he chose not to answer it.

From my email to Mary Burgess.

• What is your understanding of RITA’s current financial status?
• They have not released their half-year report. Any idea why and when that might emerge?

Edited May 2, 2020 by curious

[TIME FOR CHANGE]

As the report is for the period Aug 1st - Jan 31and with having the income from "their amazing new website" plus being Pre Covic -19 the figures should be OUTSTANDING based on the BS they were spinning

Come on Dean release the figures or will they embarrass you and your Board.

[Freda]

It is just possible - and I am not a Saundry apologist - that McKenzie has kept NZTR as much in the dark as the rest of us.

Which begs the question, why hasn't he or Mary, or someone, bothered to tell us?

\

[curious]

12 minutes ago, Freda said:

It is just possible - and I am not a Saundry apologist - that McKenzie has kept NZTR as much in the dark as the rest of us.

Which begs the question, why hasn't he or Mary, or someone, bothered to tell us?

\

Yes. But  a brief answer that RITA won't give us that information would have done. Of course, how NZTR could be making the decisions they are without it is another question.

[JJ Flash]

1 hour ago, Freda said:

It is just possible - and I am not a Saundry apologist - that McKenzie has kept NZTR as much in the dark as the rest of us.

Which begs the question, why hasn't he or Mary, or someone, bothered to tell us?

\

Probably because he wanted to piss you and the Chief off?

 

Greg

[Freda]

28 minutes ago, JJ Flash said:

Probably because he wanted to piss you and the Chief off?

 

Greg

Looking at Winston's latest utterance, there are more than we two pissed off ! 

[Reefton]

22 hours ago, Freda said:

It is just possible - and I am not a Saundry apologist - that McKenzie has kept NZTR as much in the dark as the rest of us.

Which begs the question, why hasn't he or Mary, or someone, bothered to tell us?

\

It is also possible(in fact I am certain) Pam that Saundry does not want to step on McKenzie's/RITA's toes.  In the same way I am 110% sure Mills and Co know that this push to grab small clubs assets is likely to be the death knell(if Covid hasn't taken that role on now) there is no way they are going to pipe up and defend the Country Clubs.  To do so would be suicide from their own Club's point of view(despite my attacking them(the big Clubs) about it in the past).

Even I have been told that info I have received(certainly not terribly interesting and now public but embargoed at the time) is not to be shared on social media.

Bernard and Co will be well aware of the saying about not biting the hand that feeds you

 

[curious]

I did get the sense from some sources that NZTR couldn't say anything about what they did or didn't know outside of what was officially released.

[Chief Stipe]

24 days and counting.

[Kopia]

Watch what happens next Chief....McKenzie will be desperately trying to find some 'light at the end of the tunnel' before releasing the bad news..maybe some heads to roll in NZTR/RIU ? Both inhabited by overinflated  bullyboy buffoons like the ex cop allegedly heading the riu investigation department. Marches around in a black overcoat like some sort of nazi but is a laughing stock even among his own troops.

[Chief Stipe]

2 minutes ago, Kopia said:

maybe some heads to roll in NZTR/RIU

McKenzie has very little control over NZTR.  He should look closer to home first i.e. his own Senior Management.

As for the RIU - RITA and each of the codes have a 25% shareholding of the RIU Limited.  So it isn't McKenzie's decision alone.  If I was Godber I'd be afraid as he has the responsibility at the RIU.  

[Kopia]

Chief, in NZ who 'owns' TAB shops? Is it the TAB and do people just work there? Because I think what will happen-soon-is that there won't be any 'TAB's'...either you go to the races and bet or you bet online. And that makes sense really, this virus has at least shown that most of us can do just about anything online. Whens the last time anyone actually wrote a cheque? The future for a lot of businesses is looking very different, and it may not be a bad thing. Except if your'e the one to get the shove.

[Chief Stipe]

4 hours ago, Kopia said:

Chief, in NZ who 'owns' TAB shops? Is it the TAB and do people just work there?

There are numerous models.  Some are owned by the TAB, some are agencies that are solely betting shops and there are others that are the equivalent of agencies but are within pubs.  Then you have the Pokie venues where the TAB owns the pokies and there are usually betting facilities in the same premises.  It seems there are as many variations as there are outlets!  The only thing common is that the TAB supplies a network connection for the terminals and TV's.  My understanding is that the TV's are on their own digital feed now well certainly the ones displaying the odds are.  The TAB even owns the printer.  They sub-contract to IT providers for repairs and maintenance.

4 hours ago, Kopia said:

Because I think what will happen-soon-is that there won't be any 'TAB's'...either you go to the races and bet or you bet online. And that makes sense really, this virus has at least shown that most of us can do just about anything online. Whens the last time anyone actually wrote a cheque?

I disagree - actually vehemently disagree.  I think the sole TAB agency i.e. the outlet that is only a betting shop is dead.  The Sport's Bar isn't.  I don't think the TAB have grasped the Sports Bar.  Unlike our Aussie counterparts.  What we've done is basically replicate a racecourse tote window and distanced it from the Bar's main business - selling alcohol.  Sorry I should be more PC - providing entertainment.  In OZ they have self service little card reader boxes sitting on the bar i.e. it is efficient.  We went down the path of providing big expensive self service terminals well away from staff and so they can't offer assistance.  We also at the same screwed the pub agency over in terms of what % they earn from the bets.

So do you remove the terminals and push people to use their smart phones?  Well you'd be surprised how many regular pub/sports bar punters don't use the app.  Not surprising really when the app isn't easy to use and there has been no in-house training at the pub for regular punters.  In that respect I take my hat off to the local bar manager who has gone out of his way to help and educate the locals on using it.  That started when he had to verify the identity of locals so they could access their accounts.  I bet the TAB didn't provide any recompense to the owner of the establishment.

Pushing people to use the phone app in a pub agency will kill off yet another sector of betting revenue.  They did that when they killed Free-to-Air Trackside and Phone betting.  I don't think these TAB marketing people have any brains or there is a huge disconnect between Marketing and IT (not uncommon in corporations I might add).  The local pub agency I talked about has a TAB data circuit installed for the TV's, terminals, TV odds display.  But the local pub doesn't have free WiFi.  It would be easy peasy for the TAB to provide free WiFi off the fixed data connection but do they?  Only needs a $50 box and an ethernet cable to the router/ntu and some minor network changes.  If you really wanted to get mean about its use you could limit what people could access to just the NZ TAB.  Not that I've seen anyone watching porn in the pub.

As for people writing cheques.  Again you would be surprised.  I know lots and lots of people that still do.  They just happen to be the same people that prefer being served by a person working on a TAB terminal.  Why do they write cheques?  Well to do financial transactions across the internet scares them for two main reasons.  One they find the technology challenging and two they are scared that they will make a mistake or someone will hack them.  Both valid reasons.  

Mind you the banks in their arrogance are no different to the TAB.  When lockdown first started I thought I'd take advantage of the once in a lifetime favourable forex rates and exchange some hard currency.  I found that although the banks were an "essential service" they were closed.  Then they decided to open one day a week for a few hours.  So I pitch up to the very long queue.  A bank rep then walked down the queue asking people what "essential service" were they there for.  The rep told anyone who could do their business on the phone or the internet to leave (they weren't doing forex exchange!).  Now there were people of an elder age group (not ancient by any means) who were in the queue because that's how they always did their banking.  The bank rep said "OK come in and we will set you up for internet banking and show you how to use it."  Some old dears had anxiety attacks there and then.

Anyway if the TAB wanted or wants everyone to use the internet and their app why didn't they send trainers/reps out on a Saturday morning/afternoon to show people how to do it?  Why didn't THEY go to THEIR customer and help them with the identity verification?  NUP it didn't happen or they relied on the unpaid assistance of the local bar manager.

[Kopia]

Chiefy I was being the 'Devils Advocate' to an extent. However I do believe that the days of the stand alone TAB in nz are almost gone. You need something else to get people into premises where they can also bet on horses, i.e. sports clubs, yes. Cant tell me that the betting on the Melbourne Cup each year is done in TAB's in NZ. I recall going into a TAB last time I was back in nz, it was what I imagined being in a retirement home looks like. And I'm no chicken, I recall the dim dark days of the TAB when they used to write tickets on yellow paper!  Younger people don't really give a shit about racing-you know that its true-a few with connections maybe, but in the main its league, rugby, cricket, football, whatever they they bet on. And maybe racing...but it aint the main punt and the figures are proving it. So I still reckon that TAB's are going to be a thing of the past very soon in nz. Clearly you'll  still be able to waltz up and have a bet but it won't be in a TAB.