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I think Sporting Sam raises important points and I support his call for a wider debate.
TRF isn’t a democracy, but even so it’s surely always useful for everyone (including TRF’s owner) to gauge forum-wide opinion.
For me, the specific issue raised has, I think (not 100% on this), been resolved inasmuch as I think the material in question BH was concerned about has been removed.
But there is still an item I personally don’t like which remains and the wider issue of gaming apparently being promoted at TRF generally won’t go away all the time material like that is here, particularly with the “By Admin” byline which appears to endorse or even be reviewing and recommending it.
David has (admittedly belatedly) addressed all this by engaging with this thread, he’s acquiesced, I think, to the initial complaint and agreed to differ with me over my remaining issue, which I personally regard as fair enough.
It’s his forum, he can do as he pleases.
BH’s position is now unclear as he hasn’t responded here to the eventual removal of some material.
But until/unless he does, and resumes posting on the Juvenile Hurdle thread, I shall cease to post on it in support of BH who, while I don’t agree with ultimatums, raises I feel a very important and emotive issue.
Racing’s Levy revenue is under threat from gambling regulators who lump
Horse race betting with gaming in together.Material on gaming here further blurs those lines and the anecdotal evidence is gaming does far more human harm than horse race betting.
Gaming destroys lives and racing (and TRF) should IMO be distancing itself from gaming, not embracing it.
No ultimatums from me, I love TRF and am going nowhere, just a quiet silent protest by giving a solitary thread the swerve until/unless it’s great spiritual author returns to it.
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
https://mobile.twitter.com/Ian_Davies_
https://www.facebook.com/ThePointtoPointNHandFlatracingpunter/
It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"In his opening post on this thread BH made reference to two articles: the one that’s been removed and the slightly less repellent one that hasn’t: the one referred to by IanDavies above
Therefore, I think it unlikely that BH will return unless that article too is removed
A noisome whiff pervades these pages
Maximum respect to Admin for opening this thread up to a forum-wide debate by relocating it here.
Who’s in favour of gaming advertorials at TRF, who’s against them, who doesn’t care either way?
And why?
The “why” is often the most illuminating of all.
In short, what do you think of stuff like THIS: https://theracingforum.co.uk/racing-articles/the-best-online-horse-racing-slots/
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
https://mobile.twitter.com/Ian_Davies_
https://www.facebook.com/ThePointtoPointNHandFlatracingpunter/
It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Doesn’t bother me, but I have no idea why, it just doesn’t.
I've stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains
I've walked and I crawled on six crooked highways“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War
Seems to me that knowing about the enemy is just as important here as it was for a Chinese general.
In short, what do you think of stuff like THIS: https://theracingforum.co.uk/racing-articles/the-best-online-horse-racing-slots/
Ian, you rightly made the point earlier about the conflation racing/sports betting and casino style gambling despite them being very different. I hadn’t seen that article but it mentions a slot game that bears the image of one L Dettori, for which he presumably had to give his blessing. I don’t believe things like that to be helpful to racing’s cause in trying to distance itself from such things. Did he really need to do that? Not a good look.
It is good to see that the worst article has gone as it really was beyond the pale. Thanks to admin for responding, and I hope a watchful eye will be kept on future articles.
I share the wider concerns raised about the conflation of racing and gaming, and the questionable nature of other articles that the site has published. But it’s difficult to be too critical without knowing how much the site costs to run and what other funding options are available.
I think it’s worth people making the site owner aware of their views. But I also acknowledge the site owner may reasonably draw the line in a different place to me, and that on balance the site remains very much a force for the good of racing and its followers.
‘Never gamble when feeling angry or low’
Well that counts me out 🤠
So what this suggests to me is that actions can be flawed by temperament. I think it purposefull to possibly widen the discussion in this thread to include the role of the master servant relationship – a definition of what free is, and to question and consider the comparative frailties of human beings working alone or in the more constrained environment of a group aka a board of directors.
A simpler way would be just to give a simple and honest opinion of the dilemma presented by funding a talking house.
I know I will regret writing this in the morning !
Personally I hate slot machines or any attempt to pretend a horse racing
game can be even be considered anything similar to horse racing, however I’m
not sure we can pick and choose except on a personal level.I have memberships at just about every mainstream bookie, except the few who
no longer want my custom. I receive emails fairly regularly offering me any
number of free chances on their slots. It seems the numbers offered increase
the more I just ignore them. I am within my rights to click the little button
that says “unsubscribe”. I wish their were 2 emails from the bookmaker sites,
one for horseracing and sports and the other for all the other Sh*t,but there
isn’t. I want to receive the information and horse racing offers, fairly often
such as “there is a £10 free bet on the site, click here.My point is that whilst I hate the slots, I’m not about to cut off my nose
to spite my face, so I put up with the emails as the two cannot be separated.
I suppose in the same way, I could throw my telly out of the window, everytime
I see that annoying little man in the orange suit encouraging you to join him in
the land of milk and honey.So I know this won’t go down well in many quarters, but I’m afraid we are stuck
with them. I suppose TRF could make a one man stand and ban any advertising slots,
and thereby lose the revenue, perhaps much needed, but would it make a difference.
Are there many on here that will be interested or turned towards the dark side by
the advert on the home page, which I had never clicked to open until this debate.I say it again, I loathe the slots and false racing, but every bookmakers site
we use has got them. Should we take a moral stance and close our memberships
with them all?Ian and Richard asked for opinions, which is why I posted. I didn’t see the first
article, which Admin has removed, but I’m glad they did as it sounds like it was
quite offensive. I sincerely don’t want to lose Sam, who I’ve shared views with
many a time, or Bachelors Hall, both are a great credit to this forum.It’s a bit like the old Frankenstein or those other old monster films, where you
are running like Pegasus, with winged feet, and the monster is dragging one leg
and yet when you turn round, his hand is on your shoulder. In short, there’s no
way of getting away from it. I hate them but like it or not, they are here to stay.“I hadn’t seen that article but it mentions a slot game that bears the image of one L Dettori, for which he presumably had to give his blessing. I don’t believe things like that to be helpful to racing’s cause in trying to distance itself from such things. Did he really need to do that? Not a good look.”
Not just Frankie..
Ruby Walsh and McCoy have one aswell
even AscotI hear Cheltenham were offered one but wanted five..
Blackbeard to conquer the World
Having just written a long arse essay on the back of a busy week at work, my thoughts will be very brief and incomplete…
The slots article was bad, but its existence is fair game for discussion and I appreciate it being opened to same.
The gamstop article was neither open to discussion nor compatible with my wilful presence. Its removal came later than ideal and its stench will linger, but the basic demand was eventually met so quid pro quo, I am content to post here again.
Given the controversy, I would like to offer more substantial thoughts in the near future, but for now, I will just thank everybody concerned for their patience and contributions.
Not only is BH a great expert writer, he has a moral compass.
Every entity needs a conscience and it seems to me that BH offers one here at TRF.
He is by no means alone here in that, but few articulate it as passionately as he.
I’m glad he seems to be sticking around.
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
https://mobile.twitter.com/Ian_Davies_
https://www.facebook.com/ThePointtoPointNHandFlatracingpunter/
It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"The Festival finished five days ago. That front page article should be removed, imo.
While some might argue not only having articles on the home page about a Festival that ended last Friday, but also having an item about the Grand National weights having not yet come out (they were published ages ago) is a form of disruptive gaslighting, I’d suggest critics lighten up and I’d staunchly defend the TRF home page, saying it’s merely a bit of harmlessly-snail’s pace content management.
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
https://mobile.twitter.com/Ian_Davies_
https://www.facebook.com/ThePointtoPointNHandFlatracingpunter/
It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"
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