Dickey: Woodbine CEO wants racing 'less about the wagering'

Horse racing is a gambling game with horseplayers the customers, and Jim Lawson clearly understands of the business model.

But on multiple occasions during an interactive online information sharing session Wednesday, Woodbine Entertainment Group's CEO said horse racing needs to position itself as something other than that.

During the one-hour “Stronger Together” program hosted on the Woodbine website, Lawson stated his belief that horse racing needed a “rebirth.”

The program started with talk of current events, including social injustice and the COVID-19 pandemic. Then a video was shown promoting the sport by highlighting people who work on the backstretch of racetracks and the love they have for the horses.

“Horse racing for me, has unfortunately become a large part about wagering,” Lawson said. “I know that’s how we make our revenue. If you look at the video that we just watched, people love the sport of horse racing. We have to get back to loving the sport of horse racing and making it less about wagering and all about the people that love this sport and how hard they work.”

This is not the first time Lawson has shared his views that horse racing should shy away from promoting itself for what it is.

“Every time I make a statement I get criticized,” Lawson said. “People say, ‘Lawson’s lost his mind because doesn’t he understand that wagering is the only way that produces revenue for the business?’ -- and we get that.

“This sport needs a rebirth. And there is so much competition out there on the wagering dollar and ways people can wager. One of the things I think we need to bring back is the popularity of horses.”

Lawson is correct. There is increased competition for gambling dollars. The answer to that competition shouldn’t, however, be only that “we love horses.”

Horse racing can better position itself in the wagering market as its attractiveness pales in comparison to other avenues, such as sports betting, poker and casino gaming.

The takeout on horse racing has been repeatedly pointed out as too high to lure in sophisticated bettors. Instead, the sport continues today thanks mostly to a legacy customer base.

Lawson is right that the sport needs new fans, but the “we love our horse” trope isn’t the way to do it.

High-end, scientific metrics for sports is an increasingly attractive feature which helps foster interest in sports betting. Watch a broadcast of poker tournaments, and you’ll see the odds of each player being able to win a hand updated after each card is turned.

Horse racing relies on the same metrics and information as days gone by. It has become stale. Instead of focusing on the love of the horses in the sport, maybe horse racing could embrace a change in the way information is gathered and disseminated, in addition to lower takeout.

That combination can help novice horseplayers become comfortable with the sport on a less steep learning curve.

During the same “Stronger Together” program that Lawson announced Woodbine would have three races each Thursday broadcast on Canadian sports channel TSN, he also promoted a new betting app called Dark Horse, all while trying to downplay the role of gambling in the sport.

“People who love this sport, they don’t love it because of the wagering,” Lawson said. They love it because of the horses and the competition.”

While there is no doubt that plenty of people do enjoy horse racing because of the athleticism of the equine and human athletes -- the stars of the sport -- forgetting the true customer of a business model is an odd approach.

Lawson says he understands. But does he?

“I get it. We need to produce revenue,” Lawson said. “But in order for this sport to be around for the next 20 years, 30 years, 40 years, 50 years, we need to get people back to what it’s all about. It’s all about the great people and horses who participate in this sport and the competition it brings -- and less about the wagering.

“We’ve got to get back to talking about the horses, talking about the competition. Bringing this back as a sport and not a wager.”

Woodbine returns to racing Saturday. Ironically, without fans allowed on site, the track will rely on online betting for revenue.