MORE ON MKTG: Chickasaws boost REM; Lone Star next
 

How do you get a venue back on track? Amenities
Global Gaming strategy revitalizes Remington Park
By HAL LUNDGREN

You take over a track where they race horses. Then you knock two items off the top of your priority list. 1. Racing. 2. Horses. That's the drift you get from Global Gaming CEO John Elliott. His Chickasaw Nation-owned company has successfully run Oklahoma City's Remington Park since 2009. "When we took over Remington, we didn't go in asking ourselves, 'What can we do for horse racing?' " Elliott said. "We asked, 'What can we do to offer a better sports entertainment venue?' "

Great Article Steve! Thanks for posting. Amazing what a little basic marketing will do for an improved product.

Getting ready to start show, but will quickly note that there's an added dimension to success (and potential success) in areas like OK, TX and NM beyond the alternative revenue, and that is proximity to the 'culture of the horse'. As much as the explosion in gaming choices since the '70's, the thing that inhibits racing in much of the country in this era is the distancing of our society from its' agrarian roots.

Remington has successfully integrated a casino into their racetrack from all accounts.

Global Gaming will do well with the purchase of Lone Star. The Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex is very big on sporting events in general and the attendance on a daily basis at Lone Star is what has always enabled it to survive. The facility is modern and needs very little in the way of upgrades.

I have never been to Ada Oklahoma, but I'm guessing that there really aren't a plethora of entertainment options available. So in this case it makes plenty of sense to upgrade the facilities of one of those options.

Nice story, but it's all relative to location.

Global Gaming is based in Ada. Not sure why it matters. Remington is in Oklahoma City and Lone Star is in Dallas/Fort Worth.

Thanks Jeff, I thought that the track was based in Ada, my mistake.
My comment pretty much stems from yesterdays discussion that revolved around Belmont Park and the entertainment options that they are up against in New York City.

MJC has been holding concerts at Pimlico for years. That's really been a huge boost for Maryland racing.

I think pimlico would be a tough fix because of the surrounding area.

We had a huge crowd at LAD for the Steve Miller Band last year, and handle was down the following day. In fact, they were setting-up the stage while we were racing and were upset when they couldn't sound test during a live race.

But isn't that somewhat nullified by the difference in population size?

That's a fair point, but I honestly think the answer is no.

For discussion purposes using the NY area/Belmont is a very tough example.

You aren't going to get there in one show. Or two. Or ten. The fact is that some people will never come over to the track from the show. Some might see a show or two and might happen to go over to the track to kill some time one day. Some might bring a friend that wants to check in. The idea is that then show puts them in vicinity where they can potentially be sucked in.

What do they see when they take a peak? Is it a dreary run down place? Or is there a cool bar area or trackside restaurant like the one at del mar? Is it full of people that are 85% dead or is it a mixed crowd of people having fun? Is there music or just the sound of railbirds yelling profanity at the jockeys or screaming at old tv sets?

I agree. How about San diego?

Maybe they can get Mr. Ghetto and his girls to come to the track instead of Wal-Mart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1tufujnbzU

I have never been there so I don't think I could form an honest and fair opinion.

Obviously when it comes to the Remington discussion I was just guessing . I was in Omaha Nebraska once and I envision many of these midwestern cities to look like that (which I understand is unfair and probably very far away from the truth). But, I just assume that the entertainment options aren't aplenty and if a new restauraunt/bar/club opens up somewhere in the area (albeit at a racetrack) it is major news and people want to go.

People go nuts over a Starbucks opening.

Lower takeout. The roof means nothing.

:tro:

Churn, baby churn.

Lower takeout will get people to go to the track? I don't doubt that it will increase handle a little but I seriously doubt that it will increase track attendence.

What does Evangeline do? I honestly don't know but they have huge fields consistently. Is the takeout low? How are the facilities?