Entain rolls out Racing Post innovation in digital hubs in bid to attract new audience to the sport

Betting shops have survived the tempests that have beset the high street in recent years much better than had been expected, but they are still having to move with the times – as is shown by the latest development in betting on horseracing.

Although business has returned to pre-Covid levels, the nature of that business has changed, with gaming machines and self-service betting terminals growing while over-the-counter turnover has struggled.

Retail betting on racing has not bounced back to the same extent, and the complexity of form is seen as something as a barrier to entry, so bookmakers have been looking to update the experience in order to attract new punters. Into this space comes a collaboration between Entain and the Racing Post, with the Post's Easyview cards brought to the digital displays and racing terminals in a number of Ladbrokes and Coral betting shops.

With Easyview, each horse is assigned a rating for six key attributes, along with an overall rating scored out of 100, after mathematical modelling and machine learning techniques have generated an objective assessment.

Discussions around Easyview between Entain and the Racing Post began in 2019 for a new greyhound card but were renewed two years later on how to engage a new, younger audience to racing.

Entain's transformation and experience director Leo Walker said Easyview is available in more than 100 of the group's shops featuring digital hubs and racing-focused self-service betting terminals. Customers are presented with the opportunity to toggle between Easyview and the traditional form layout on the digital betting shop display.

Walker added: "In the very near future Easyview will be available on all our in-house self-service betting terminals, so a growing footprint of over one third of our estate by July, and we will continue to expand as our rollout progresses."

Walker said Entain's betting shops had bounced back strongly from Covid, demonstrating how resilient the sector is, but added: "Horseracing has not bounced back as strongly as some of our other products but we are focusing considerable effort and investment in the product to drive improved turnover.

"The traditional form layout for horseracing is complex. It is a barrier to entry for a novice and we hope we can support attracting new customers to the sport through simplifying the complex world of horse form."

Easyview uses mathematical modelling and machine learning techniques to assess horses

Racing Post betting editor Keith Melrose said that borrowing ideas from games such as Fifa and Football Manager had helped in the development of Easyview.

He added: "What do my generation, under-40s, understand? How do they read complicated data about sport? Because they do, they just don't realise it.

"It's the same with us and racecards. We racing fans don't realise the racecard is complicated because it is natural for us. It's about presenting the data to an audience in a way they understand. We want the view to be easy but the engine to be seen as smart.

"Anybody could have made an icon-driven racecard, that would have been dead easy. I wanted everything that Paul Kealy, Tom Segal and I would think about before a race to go into it."

Walker said there needed to be continued innovation to maintain horseracing in punters' thoughts.

"Horseracing has so much potential but, without modernising the way it’s presented to customers and restructuring the programme of races and timing and volume of fixtures, it will continue to stagnate rather than thrive," he said. "Unless there is innovation, evolution, progress, then the sport is not going to move forward.

"At Entain, we are committed to exploring ways in which we can evolve the product on our apps and in our betting shops, but also collaborate with industry partners for racing’s short, medium and long-term benefit."

Walker said he expected EasyView to continue to develop.

"As a customer-centric business, we will continue to listen to our customers to hear their thoughts and opinions for how Easyview could evolve. This is the start of our journey, so watch this space.

"We are also exploring ways in which we can now simplify the even more complex world of greyhound form."

November date set for Safer Gambling Week

The sixth Safer Gambling Week is set to run from November 13-19, the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has announced.

During last year's campaign around 200,000 accounts set deposit limits during the month, an increase of 12.5 per cent compared to the same month the previous year, while 61 per cent of players setting deposit limits did so for the first time. The number of players actively using reality checks rose by 300 per cent.

BGC chief executive Michael Dugher said: "Safer Gambling Week is now an established annual event in the industry’s calendar, doing vital work promoting the safer gambling tools only available in the regulated betting and gaming sector and signposting help to those that need it.

"All the recent data confirms what we already knew, that rates of problem gambling are consistently low, which is brilliant news, but Safer Gambling Week is an example of the regulated industry’s determination to keep raising standards."

Sean Bowen: has joined the Coral teamCredit: John Grossick

Sean Bowen signs up as Coral ambassador

Leading jumps jockey Sean Bowen has joined Coral's team of racing ambassadors. Bowen, 25, will provide Coral customers with insight into his rides at all the major meetings and will also create tailor-made video content throughout the season.

Coral's David Stevens said: "Taking our customers closer to the action is what we are all about, and few jockeys are better placed to do that in jumps racing than Sean, who has continued his great form into the new campaign."

Sportech makes strong start to 2023

London-listed betting technology business Sportech said betting handle had increased by more than five per cent to $68.7 million for the first four months of the year in a trading update issued last week.

Executive chairman Richard McGuire said: "We are delighted to share the news of our strong start to the year, which can be attributed to the outstanding efforts of our management team. By capitalising on our exclusive pari-mutuel betting licence, we have successfully tapped into a new demographic of sports betting enthusiasts, opening up valuable cross-selling opportunities."

BetMakers reduces staff numbers

Australian betting technology company BetMakers is to reduce its number of employees by 23 per cent to 440 as part of an operational restructure.

Chief executive Jake Henson said: "BetMakers is committed to providing long-term value to shareholders and this restructuring is an essential step towards achieving that goal. The changes made aim to provide the business with a clear path to profitability while also providing a more streamlined operating structure to maximise future growth opportunities."

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