International Simulcasting with Scott Finley
Tucson, AZ — On April 8 and again on April 10, the RTIP welcomed Scott Finley, Country Manager, Pari Mutuel Urbain (PMU) as a guest lecturer. He stopped in for two days of in-depth discussions with students on international simulcasting, speaking in both the Joe Hirsch Speaker Series and the Race Track Organization, Structure & Financial Management class.
International simulcasting presents track operators and ADWs with a unique set of challenges and opportunities. In the Race Track Organization class, Mr. Finley covered both the variances and similarities between domestic and global simulcasting. While the core operations may be the same, international simulcast operators have additional factors like time zones, exchange rates, and differing customer information needs to account for.
Mr. Finley also spoke at great lengths about computer assisted wagering (CAW)/computer robotic wagering (CRW). While these groups are not new to simulcasting business, the model has really seen significant growth in the last five years. According to Finley, thirty-five percent of racing’s handle comes directly from CAW outfits. One may be inclined to think that more handle is a good thing for racing, but as Finley points out, it really depends on the track and how big it is. Smaller tracks will feel the effects of computer wagering groups more than large tracks because they win much more often than the typical bettor.