Opening the ‘shop window’ for business in the racing world
The situation is that, eh, we, we, we process them through the local shop. We have 60 shops around the place and what we do is the next day we process them all through the shop. Sometimes they come in and confirm the bet the next day and, you know, that’s the way it works.
Yeah well, the situation is that, eh, eh, eh, you know, what actually happens is that someone comes along and they might, eh, have an interest in a horse. Take the Goat Grill, they might have an interest in, eh, the, the, the Forpadydeplasterer for example and they’d be looking for a better price so we’d give them a number and they’d ring and they might come back the next day or two days... they shop around and they have it. So, that’s the way it works.
Sorry?
Am, yeah, the, the, the, and then we process them… that would be on a kind of manual thing and then we process them through the till subsequently.
You know, all our bets is on a capture system, you know, they’re computerised. I’m not sure, how do other bookmakers do it?
The night where?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, no I’m, I’m aware of the situation, am, and eh, you know it’s more of a social night, eh, than a betting shop situation in so far as that we would sponsor the trainers or the jockeys that would come along or the form experts or media pundits in the racing sector.
I think in fairness it is a kinda well-established tradition over the last, eh, you know, 20 years that this has been happening and it just happens for Cheltenham, it doesn’t happen for Aintree or Punchestown or Galway. It’s just a special thing because there are a number of Irish people who travel over and, you know, it’s kinda, almost a cultural thing.
Well put it like this, eh, eh, eh, eh, we would be anxious at all times to, to operate within the law, needless to say, and I think after 20 years in business we have a pretty unblemished record with the revenue and with eh, eh, in relation to aspects of statutory compliance. Okay?
Oh no, there’s no doubt we use them as a shop window because, you know, it is the most significant, eh, eh, betting week of the year for us. By far, you know what I mean. While there’s other, you know, big days, St Stephen’s Day or Easter Monday, there’s more interest. But really, it’s about the atmosphere and it’s about, eh, you know, eh, the whole Irish horses versus English horses and how hard it is, like, there’s no comparison for anyone backing a winner at Cheltenham to anyone backing a winner at Sedgefield or Fairyhouse, it has a different, eh, atmosphere to it.
Em... yeah, we do various promotions for Cheltenham but in fairness like, if you pick up the Racing Post, you know every betting company does. They do special offers to open an account for Cheltenham, eh, you know Paddy Power, Boylesports, Bruce Betting, Ladbrokes, they would all do something similar whereby if you open a new account, eh, you know, that, eh, you’d get free bets or something like that, eh, you know, have, eh, money put into your account, essentially the bookmakers’ money.
The, eh eh, Dublin branch of the Wexford GAA Supporters Club.
Organised it.
(interrupts) And, you do know that Pat Keane is very, eh, very prevalent at a lot of these.
Right. Well, you know, as I say, we use it as a shop window but with a trading element because we would circulate on the night the odds for all the races that are previewed, which gives the, you know, a focus to the discussion as well.
Sorry?
On the, on the basis that it would go through the local shop the next day, yeah. Or that they would open a telebetting account.
Well, the situation is that as far as I’m concerned, eh eh, there’s no attempt to break the law and as far as I’m concerned, eh, I’m not aware that it is illegal in so far as that, eh, eh, it’s, it’s not a betting shop per se and it doesn’t attempt to be, you know. I haven’t checked the 1931 Betting Act as regards the precise situation but I am aware of the situation that, eh, you know where eh pubs operate telephone accounts is not, is not allowed. That isn’t what’s involved, you know what I mean. We front it ourselves and you know, it’s quite transparent actually.
Yeah, or over the phone.
Or on the internet, you know, and that can be from someone’s home or, you know, whatever, the mobile, you know, can be, you know, so, you know, I want to make it clear that, eh, you know, there is no attempt to, eh, use a pub as a betting shop. What the attempt is to use it as a shop window to focus on the betting aspects of the festival and to provide informed comment and information for the public. In fairness, these things are well-attended and the punters seem to like it, you know?
Well, the, the, the situation is that, eh, we’re coming to the end of this year’s, eh, previews now and it will be next year before we review it. What happens is, in January, December we will, we will sit down and review all aspects of the previous year’s and so on but, you know, the situation is that, eh, eh, I’m not aware that what we do is any different to any other bookmaker.
Well, no, what I would say is this that, that, eh, eh, you know, we, we, we, we certainly, you know, are very anxious to ensure that everything is in full compliance with all the regulations, and there’s no problem about that and we would always try and ensure that as part of any review we would look at that on an ongoing basis. But there is no, eh, attempt, and, you know, many, many times, you know, what would happen is that, eh, the vast majority of cases, especially for the larger bets, eh, the punters shop around. You know what I mean, they see our prices and they say and, you know, like, they, they, they, it’s more inquiries about betting which lead to bets, rather than, you know, the transactions on the night that are significant from a volume point of view.
Yeah, we take money to open accounts and we take money in certain cases for bets with a view to processing it in the shop the next day, or with a telebetting account over the phone.
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