Arlington Park saga

[dellinger63]

Originally Posted by tomm5647

Dellinger63 your post shows exactly why racing is dying in the area. It has little to do with slot machines. CDI apparently is planning a business model that does not include live fans. I have lived in the area my entire life and I have been going to AP since the early 1970s. It's criminal the way they squeeze the fans at every opportunity. Customer service means follow all of our directives or stay home. I now attend the live races only once or twice per year. I play at home or at the local OTB where there is no admission charge and frequent food and beverage specials. When I watch the feeds from other tracks at home or the OTB I get angry. Golden Gate regularly schedules dollar Sundays with $1 admission, program, hot dogs and beers. When I asked one of the Customer service reps when AP was going to try something similar I was told the chance was slim or none. If I go to the races with my wife and sister they will not even let me purchase 3 beers at once at the stands. Protecting me from overserving myself. If these customer service wizards had spent any time at the track they would realize that 98% of the customers that they have are trying to go home with more money that they came with. Guzzling multiple beers even at a low price doesn't help you make intelligent handicapping decisions. I'll stay far away from AP this year and I'm sure they will not miss me but when the doors close for good and they blame the politicians refusal to OK slots those of us who tried to be customers will know the real story.

One small suggestion I had and conveyed it to GM Tony Petrillo was to sell $50 or even $100 vouchers at the gate that would have to be used on that particular race day. Those willing to do this would be given complementary admission and a racing program. Food and beverage at Arlington is handled by Levy so I didn't even suggest they participate. So far crickets.....

Meanwhile this Saturday we'll see the park packed with miserable crying kids who are only charged $4 admission. We'll see their idiot parents lifting up said kids to self-service terminals to make picks on a machine the parent barely understands how to use. Each kid betting $2 and taking their sweet time completely ignorant that there are others in line seeking to bet far more. Throughout the day throngs will clog teller lines to place their $2 derby show bets first confirming show means 1rst, 2nd or 3rd on either American Pharaoh or Dortmund and then clog lines following the derby hoping to cash their $2.80 cent winners.

Wow I feel better getting that out.

[3kings]

Originally Posted by dellinger63

One small suggestion I had and conveyed it to GM Tony Petrillo was to sell $50 or even $100 vouchers at the gate that would have to be used on that particular race day. Those willing to do this would be given complementary admission and a racing program. Food and beverage at Arlington is handled by Levy so I didn't even suggest they participate. So far crickets.....

Meanwhile this Saturday we'll see the park packed with miserable crying kids who are only charged $4 admission. We'll see their idiot parents lifting up said kids to self-service terminals to make picks on a machine the parent barely understands how to use. Each kid betting $2 and taking their sweet time completely ignorant that there are others in line seeking to bet far more. Throughout the day throngs will clog teller lines to place their $2 derby show bets first confirming show means 1rst, 2nd or 3rd on either American Pharaoh or Dortmund and then clog lines following the derby hoping to cash their $2.80 cent winners.

Wow I feel better getting that out.

Nice rant Del! Let me know how those lines at the machines are after you give everybody a voucher they don't know how to insert let alone bet with.

[dellinger63]

Originally Posted by 3kings

Nice rant Del! Let me know how those lines at the machines are after you give everybody a voucher they don't know how to insert let alone bet with.

I'm not suggesting 'giving' vouchers but rather having patrons buying vouchers. A person paying $50 or $100 for a voucher forgoing paying the $14 admission fee likely has a bit more knowledge than the once a year visitor who does nothing more than take up space on big days.

Oh, I also forgot the idiots that will try to pay for their $2 show Dortmund bets at the window with a credit card and or insert their credit cards into the voucher slot on the self-service machines. And the idiot women that will attend simply because it's a reason to buy a big hat, no one can see over or around, waiting till they get their show bets down to dig around in their suitcase of a purse in search of $2 bucks to pay for it as if they didn't know the price of a $2 show bet.

[-BT-]

Originally Posted by dellinger63

One small suggestion I had and conveyed it to GM Tony Petrillo was to sell $50 or even $100 vouchers at the gate that would have to be used on that particular race day. Those willing to do this would be given complementary admission and a racing program. Food and beverage at Arlington is handled by Levy so I didn't even suggest they participate. So far crickets.....

Meanwhile this Saturday we'll see the park packed with miserable crying kids who are only charged $4 admission. We'll see their idiot parents lifting up said kids to self-service terminals to make picks on a machine the parent barely understands how to use. Each kid betting $2 and taking their sweet time completely ignorant that there are others in line seeking to bet far more. Throughout the day throngs will clog teller lines to place their $2 derby show bets first confirming show means 1rst, 2nd or 3rd on either American Pharaoh or Dortmund and then clog lines following the derby hoping to cash their $2.80 cent winners.

Wow I feel better getting that out.

they're clearly catering to the family atmosphere, and away from the gambler, and purely from a business standpoint, it's smart, i don't like it, but it's smart.
You figure you get a family of 4 coming through the turn styles, roughly $20-$24, those people are going to head to the picnic table, pay for overpriced food/beer, all while placing their $2 show bets, they're not breaking CDI, as CDI just nickles and dimes those people to death and essentially provides them little to nothing aside from suspect musical acts and balloon animals.

Gamblers clearly are looking for some value on their money, and this track just isn't going to give it to them. None the less, the place is packed, even during the week, so usually when i go there i take my racing/gambling a little lighter, and enjoy the day for what it is, a stroll in the park, where i happen to be able to drink beer and gamble

-bt-