The horse racing industry in South Africa employs, directly or indirectly, around 100 000 people. Core insiders like jockeys, trainers, grooms, vets and equine therapists work specifically with the horses themselves, but many others who derive their income from racing are involved on the betting side. They include bookmakers, tote sellers and call centre operatives who are all in the game to offer punters the facility of having a bet.
There is a close link between racing as a sport, and wagering in racing. Steve Crist, recently retired journalist and former chairman/publisher of the Daily Racing Form in America explains the historic connection, “The tracks cut of the betting pool was what paid the race purses (stakes). Those race purses were what paid trainers and jockeys and what made owners buy horses. Those horse purchased were what paid breeders to arrange matings and raise foals. Everything comes back to the betting dollars….”
Years ago, racing was the only legal betting game in South Africa, and with few off -course outlets fans would stream to the race-courses to take in the spectacle, get a bet down and have a sociable vibe. Things have changed considerably since then. Gamblers don’t have to confine their activities to racing, nor are they obliged to go to the course to have a punt. Now, they can wager on a wide range of sports, lucky numbers and legal casino games, as well as racing. All this can be done using modern technology, when on the move or chilling at home. Placing a bet has never been easier.
Combined with comprehensive television and live streaming coverage of all events from around the world, the action is now unrelenting. “This is a seven day a week gig” says Barry Meyerson of Interbet, an online betting company with a strong presence in South African horse racing. They use sophisticated software which automates most of their systems, providing betting on racing from around the world, together with odds for all sports events. This is done not only on the final outcome but also in-play, so that punters can make bets as the score shifts during matches. Lotto type numbers games are also a popular part of Interbet’s offering, and a big source of growth in the South African mass market.
The experienced Meyerson brings a wide range of skills to his demanding job. He usually settles in mid- morning to sit at a desk surrounded by a bank of computer screens. With barely a moment’s pause until late afternoon, he then proceeds to handle all manner of queries from existing and new clients, manages the commercial details of a bookmaking business and trades on a variety of betting markets. It’s intense, demanding work, requiring quick thinking and calmness under pressure.
With the betting industry constantly expanding, there are tremendous opportunities for young, tech-savvy people who love racing and sport. Leige Ludlow of bet.co.za was drawn into the game after completing a B Com degree. It was a great way to utilise what he had learnt when studying finance, and to apply that academic, statistical knowledge in the real world. A sports enthusiast of note, he immediately enjoyed being surrounded by like-minded friends in an exciting atmosphere.
He learnt on the job about compiling odds, controlling liabilities and setting profit margins. Even though plenty of mistakes were made in early trading, it was part of a shared learning curve with his mates. ‘I just love dealing with people and we certainly meet some colourful characters in this industry! The vibrancy in our office is just great – there is real “gees” when we are rooting for a team! It’s exciting – a bit like that movie The Boiler Room at times, just lots of fun! ”
Bright university graduates like Ludlow prefer the fun and stimulating environment working amongst gamblers, over the sterner culture that may apply in, say, formal banking or commerce. For those with a similar preference, but lacking a degree, such high level qualifications are not essential to break into the betting industry. There are other working options for people to try out.
Even though an increasing amount of betting is done on-line using computers or mobile phone apps, call centres are an important medium. Phumelela and Gold Circle are the biggest operators and they run large call centres to process streams of bets. Staff are recruited and trained to deal with customers calling out their bets in different languages over the phone. Then they take responsibility for entering those wagers on a computerised SAFtote system. Bets are called back to customers to ensure accuracy. These call centres are an ideal entry level source of employment opportunity for people eager to get involved.
The race courses, plus retail stores of the operators and independant bookmaking chains also require staff. They handle the myriad of bets being placed daily and interact face to face with customers. For some, this constitutes full time employment with the added responsibility of meeting betting customers’ needs in a busy shop environment. For many others it’s a part time job, like being a waiter, with the same requirement of offering consistently good service. Bettors may either be friendly after winning, or become testy and difficult when suffering losses – so personnel with patience and kind inter-personal skills are best suited.
Racing and sports fans all have opinions, be they sensible or absurd ones, and understandably like to express that by wagering on what they believe will happen. That urge has seen substantial growth in betting and gaming, fuelled by technological advances and a wider racing and sport menu.
Even with increasing automation and use of online platforms, people with the right skills are needed to keep things going, so a range of employment opportunities beckon. Be it designing betting software, trading as a “wizard of odds” bookmaker or serving punters over the phone or in totes, there are plenty of contented workers earning a living in the betting industry. And there is always scope for new entries and bright ideas in a rapidly evolving market.