Drive bar spend with Sports Stakes It’s quick, it’s simple – and sports fans love it! Sportspick Sports Stakes is a lucky win game that encourages your patrons to stick around for longer when watching the game. It’s one of the many ways that Sportspick GameZone not only attracts more sports fans into your venue, but keeps them coming back for more. Watch to learn more about how it all works. Sportspick GameZone is our end to end sports bar marketing tool, designed to attract more sports fans into your venue, and to keep them coming back on a regular basis. LEARN MORE ABOUT SPORTSPICK GAMEZONE Like to learn more? Get in touch using the form below and we’ll arrange for a visit!

Friday night footy is a proven performer for Sports Bars at pubs and clubs around Australia. There’s no surer way to fill your bar full of patrons keen for a beer and a chat while enjoying the live broadcast. With this in mind the Sportspick team designed Sports Stakes to capitalise on the unique opportunity that Friday nights AFL and NRL games offer, as well as a new Big Bash League comp for your cricket fans. We recently caught up with John Clarke from Coffs Ex Servicemens Club Woolgoolga to discuss what Sports Stakes has done to boost venue atmosphere during the broadcast while increasing visitation and spend. Coffs Ex Servicemens Club began utilising the Sports Stakes component of their Sportspick tipping system approximately four years ago. Sports Stakes players are given a code when they purchase a nominated product at the bar. They use this code at the Sportspick terminal where they will receive a Sports Stakes entry ticket for the evening’s game. (See more on how Sports Stakes works below.) John and the team at the Club were surprised at how eagerly players took to the promotion, “mate, if they don’t get a ticket they scream,” he said. The real strength of Sports Stakes is the clear return on investment, with players needing to make a bar purchase to receive a code. “We give them a ticket for every Tooheys product they purchase,” said John. During this year’s Preliminary Final between Melbourne and Cronulla the venue had 337 entries and John believes many of these purchases can be attributed to Sports Stakes. “We have players come across from the other clubs on Friday. They come to play Sports Stakes, it’s a good thing we’ve got going,” he said. CHECK OUT THE SPORTSPICK GAME ZONE While Sports Stakes is a proven factor in boosting bar trade, it also adds an element of fun to the Friday night broadcast. “It really adds to the atmosphere,” says John, “we’re a country town full of rugby people. They really enjoy it, and they’re back in the following day to collect if they have won a prize.” John also believes dwell time is increased due to patrons interest in the results of the Sports Stakes comp: “Ninety per cent are sticking around (longer to watch the broadcast while entered into the Sports Stakes comp). It’s a pretty good winner for us.” Like to learn more? Get in touch using the form below and we’ll arrange for a visit!

In the heart of the Northern Rivers, Grafton District Services Club is a community hub with a strong focus on entertainment, dining and sports. With a view to increasing the bustling atmosphere of their Sports Bar, the team recently upgraded to the Sportspick GameZone. Like many venues the Services Club enjoyed the convenience of Sportspick’s automated AFL and NRL tipping comps. “We got it to do footy tipping,” said Sports Bar Manager, Michael Sear, “we were originally doing our tipping through software on a PC with manual entries. We got Sportspick to make it a bit easier on the staff.” After the success of their tipping comps the team decided to offer a weekly Sportspick Punters Challenge comp to their Saturday TAB crowd. “Six months after getting Sportspick we decided to try Punters Challenge. We gave $100 on top of the entries to get the dollars up there to start with.” Punters Challenge is a fully automated Saturday afternoon Punters Club style racing comp. Patrons buy a code from the bar to enter and their entry fee goes towards funding a prize pool. All selections are made through the Sportspick GameZone. Results are displayed live throughout the day on the HD scoreboard. The product is designed to increase visitation and spend as well as bring a lively atmosphere to Sports Bars around the country. Upon launching the comp the Grafton District Services Club were inundated with keen punters willing to have a go at the great weekly prize pool. “Our best weekend we had 140 entries. We’ve redistributed about $122,000 in cash prizes from the $5 entry and the $100 we added to the top of it.” said Michael. “You get a good cross section of the serious punters and then those who just want to have a social thing on the side. It’s a good prize pool, for $5 you could jag $600.” Punters Challenge gives both keen regulars and new patrons the opportunity to enjoy promotions within the venue. “Before Melbourne Cup we had a heap of young guys come in and have a crack at it,” said Michael. Punters Challenge is also effective in increasing visitation and spend: “Often our regulars will come in twice. Once to pick up the ticket (which outlines the selected races) and once to come in and make their selections. People are coming in to grab their tickets and once they’re here they generally end up having a beer.” CHECK OUT THE PUNTERS CHALLENGE VIDEO HERE The Grafton Services Club recently upgraded to the Sportspick GameZone which includes a touch screen terminal and a HD screen which displays scoreboards, venue promotions and sports schedules. “With the screen, we can advertise it more and patrons can see it. It’s in a prominent position so patrons can’t miss it. Every time they go to the KENO section or TAB terminal they can see it there. Hopefully having that presence will lead into the promotion of footy tipping and that kind of thing.” As well as

Earlier in the year I wrote an article about my local pub closing down. At the time I was blown away by the outpouring of emotion from members of the community. People were petitioning for the venue to reopen and politicans were getting involved. Everyone hoped for the best and everyone had a story about their favourite times at what was an iconic Australian pub. Things are still up in the air but for the moment the pub is closed, covered in graffiti and virtually abandoned. It still pains me to drive past and see it in it’s current state. CASE STUDY: SPORTSPICK GAMEZONE AT WATERMARK, GLENELG When I wrote my original piece I guessed at exactly how important Aussie pubs were as a community meeting place. Somewhere people could get together to talk, laugh and catch up on good times and bad. Recent research shows that I wasn’t too far from the mark. According to Dr Peter Jonason, a social personality psychologist from the University of Western Sydney, those who spend regular time at their local are more trusting and satisfied with life. These patrons have better support bases and deeper friendships than those without a regular pub or club and identify more closely with their community. These findings are backed by earlier findings in Britain by Dr Robin Dubnar. Dr Jonason’s study pointed out that a local was especially important for men, being one of the rare places they get together for intimate conversations. The report stated that these conversations were “likely essential to maintaining their psychological health and sense of connectedness to the community.” GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR LIVE SPORTS OFFERING The study also pointed out that “having a local is associated with more life satisfaction, greater overlap with one’s community, and more interpersonal trust.” It concluded: “There is a long and honoured tradition in Australia for going down to the ‘local’ bar for a drink to socialise and relax with friends. “Arguably the motivation for most patrons of locals is not to abuse alcohol, but instead, to seek out social support.” This study just reinforces the core belief that many of us in the hospitality industry hold. That is that pubs and clubs are more than just a place to grab a cold beer and watch some sport on the big screen. Our venues are places where we meet with friends and family and develop stronger bonds with each other. It’s a great blessing and an important responsibility for all of us in the industry. Keep it in mind next time you welcome new patrons into your venue!