AN item in this column last week about a colleague failing to be accommodated when they looked for €20 each-way on a 40/1 chance generated plenty of feedback from the on-course bookmaking fraternity over the last few days.

Various members of that community were keen to stress that this was in no way representative of the on-course scene with many layers more than happy to accommodate good sized wagers.

Furthermore the Irish National Professional Bookmakers Association (I.N.P.B.A.) have indicated that they are more than willing to trial various initiatives that might breath some life back into the on-course market while also helping to enhance that raceday experience in Ireland.

As is now well documented the bookmakers’ on-course aggregate has been on the slide for a decade and when Horse Racing Ireland’s annual figures for 2018 are released they will reveal that turnover for on course layers is far removed from where it was even back in the dark days of 2010 and 2011.

Perhaps we are at the stage of the on-course market having gone beyond the point of no return and it is hard to know what can be done to generate some growth in this sector.

INITIATIVES

However, Ray Mulvaney, the chairman of the I.N.P.B.A., has pointed to several potential initiatives which could benefit not only bookmakers but racedays as a whole.

Firstly Mulvaney outlined that his organisation is considering offering to cover the gate costs at various so called industry meetings. In other words admission to these fixtures would be free with the costs being carried by on-course bookies.

They would also work with local media outlets to ensure that the message of free admission is disseminated into the locality which could help to boost the uptake of such an offer.

Over the course of the autumn various industry days took place which were sobering to say the least given the paltry attendances that they attracted.

Thus anything that could be done to improve footfall through the gates at these meetings should be warmly received.

The I.N.P.B.A.’s hope that offering free admission along with other initiatives such as offering a free match bet of €10 or €20 to go with the admission might help to boost attendances.

This in turn would benefit not only bookmakers from the point of view of more punters on the ground but would also benefit the tracks in question.

Thus we have a situation where one of the industry’s representative bodies is proposing a scheme that can only be of benefit to a significant number of fixtures around the country.

An essential and integral part of the fabric of going racing is the betting ring and common sense initiatives that could potentially boost not only the flagging fortunes of the betting ring but also attendances should be welcomed.

There may be unease in some quarters that offering free admission is somehow devaluing the product on offer but this argument doesn’t quite hold true.

If people aren’t attending so called industry fixtures – and in many instances they are not – there isn’t a devaluing of the product.

Rather it affords a chance to enhance the reach of the product and generate new custom.

Possibly there is a feeling that if admission to some meetings is free then there might be consumer resistance when it comes to paying in on bigger days. However, if this scheme gets going it is almost certain that it will not undermine the willingness of racing’s core audience to pay in on bigger days and if it happens to get a few more people going racing even on an occasional basis it is to be welcomed.