Drones over Racecourses

[EvilC57]

Jeremy Vine on Radio 2 this lunchtime has a story about drones being flown over racecourses during races, so the race can be followed live, and bets placed after the race has started.

 

How’s that going to be legal then?

[leccyflyer]

 

[Don Fry]

But they are criminals, it’s what they do.

[Geoff S]

I think they use quads to film downhill skiing, too.  I recall seeing one crash when I was watching some on Eurosport. 

 

I suppose if the quad is being flown on the opposite side of the course from the spectators (in normal times) then it's OK.  Having worked for 2 companies involved in gambling (Bell-Fruit and a firm owned by a bookmakers) and designed electronic devices associated with the industry, they'll do anything to separate punters from their money (I didn't stay long at either firm ? )

 

I've noticed quite a few overhead shots in films I've watched on either Netflix or iPlayer which I'm sure were done from quads. I think they have a real place both in film and sport.  They're much cheaper to operate than full-size helicopters as well as being more environmentally friendly.

[kc]

I think it's part of the official TV broadcast.   At Cheltenham they also seemed to be on a wire.  Probably similar to the F1 which runs on a wire along the pits.

[kc]

Many people have assumed that the new drone regulations are to allow drone deliveries, but it's likely that the regs were inspired by people who want to monopolise the viewing of sports events and prevent others from broadcasting the sport from drones!    There is clearly more money to be made from TV rights if you have the monopoly.

[ken anderson.]

on the local news up here in the north east...Newcastle racecourse...not very far from Newcastle airport.they are doing it to get one over the bookmakers..its all law breaking ....as its in Newcastle airport cat airspace.....will they catch the wasters - i doubt it...they wont be registered or insured etc.

 

ken anderson...ne..1...drone dept.

[Don Fry]

It’s a bit of a scam. The bookies don’t have real time information. The drone operator does. The time difference gives the leverage need to cheat the bookie. Read it last year, but as I don’t bet, wasn’t that interested. On reflection, probably not crime criminal,  as a bet is not an enforceable contract?, from a distant memory.

[buster prop]

I didn't know you could bet after the race has started. Doesn't "under starters orders" mean stop placing bets? 

[PatMc]

4 hours ago, ken anderson. said:

...will they catch the wasters - i doubt it...they wont be registered or insured etc.

 

ken anderson...ne..1...drone dept.

The lack of registration would help to catch law breakers.

[PatMc]

4 hours ago, Don Fry said:

The bookies don’t have real time information. 

Why do you say that ? 

[Don Fry]

PatMc, I think is about the time it takes for the bookies camera teams to download the data, and then it gets processed, and no one is paying for fast data conduits. It adds up. Wall Street suffers from this problem. Server lag in techi speak?

But as I said above, I don’t bet. Not my game. Not too interested. Speak to a techi.

 

An amusement. My 19 years older, elder brother, had a racing whippet. Lovely thing, name of Sue. He trained her. He would feed her, before a race, in front of the judges. Teaspoon of liver, victory expected. A tea spoon of rice pudding, don’t worry my love. 
She practiced, in private, with a tin of rice pudding consumed, so often, than she knew that ( lovely) taste was not associated with speed. Victory was cuddles, a Guinness.
Brother drove about in a Rover 2000 on the difference. Early 1960 ‘s.

Tell me the horses are any better, that’s serious money. 
As the old truism goes, get out of a market when the little guy gets in.
Don’t understand the market.......don’t go there. 

[Geoff S]

6 hours ago, Don Fry said:

It’s a bit of a scam. The bookies don’t have real time information. The drone operator does. The time difference gives the leverage need to cheat the bookie. Read it last year, but as I don’t bet, wasn’t that interested. On reflection, probably not crime criminal,  as a bet is not an enforceable contract?, from a distant memory.

 

I think betting ends once the race starts.  One of my jobs long ago was to design the control of a rotary camera and time clock display to use at dog tracks.  The whole point was that every betting slip was photographed along with the real time so that bets could be taken right up to the point the dogs were released (so maximising punters outlay and bookies profits!).  Like all things involving gambling of this sort there was as much time dedicated to preventing employees from fiddling their employers as extricating the most out of customers.  It's a very sleezy business.  I really don't understand its posh aristocratic reputation - or its attraction but I'm not a gambler.

[PatMc]

20 minutes ago, Don Fry said:

PatMc, I think is about the time it takes for the bookies camera teams to download the data, and then it gets processed, and no one is paying for fast data conduits. It adds up. Wall Street suffers from this problem. Server lag in techi speak?

But as I said above, I don’t bet. Not my game. Not too interested. Speak to a techi.

 

Don, I don't understand what downloading the data has to do with it. The bookies have their own people at the track watching each race & they're on the phone passing the info over in real time. Even before mobile phones the bookies people commandeered the temporary public phones for virtually all of the race meeting, certainly for the start to finish of each race.

I have no interest in racing or betting but used to be on hand at the telephone exchange serving my local race course & in touch with the faultsman covering the meeting. 

[PatMc]

39 minutes ago, Geoff S said:

 

I think betting ends once the race starts.  

Not quite, there's "spot betting", e.g. between the winner crossing the line & the stewards giving the official result bookies will take bets on whether a horse has won be a nose, a head or a length etc.

Apparently some gamblers are so hooked that even if the bookie refuses to give odds on his first bet choice, because it's so obviously correct, the gambler will ask for odds on the next nearest & place his bet on that.  

[Don Fry]

As I have said, twice, PatMc, I relay what I remember what I read. But your memories of bookies runners on the phone, is a bit out of date I suggest.  It’s a scam, to get data early. Look up the problem Wall Street has, with traders earning a living with being a bit  closer to the exchange. 
“live feeds” are a fiction. Real time feeds are delayed by the time it takes for electrons to travel. And hang about in busy servers, and be routed via Outer Mongolia in winter because the router is cold and working well. 
 

simple test, send an e mail. Wait for the delivered ding. That time varies. A lot of people think, e mails are immediate message spreaders. It is possible to make money on the difference.

 

But as I have said, I don’t bet, I relate to what I have read. If you want more, Google is your friend.

[GrumpyGnome]

Surely lag is measured in milliseconds or less... if it were longer, then I suspect all the electronic stock exchange stuff just would not work... and I can't imagine a multi-million pound industry like betting woulde be caught out by a few multicopters.. feel free to call me a cynic but this sounds like urban myths. I would imagine the multicopters are all licensed commercial outfits...

 

GG

[PatMc]

Don, I still don't understand what you mean. My experience is from 50+ years ago but surely if it worked then the bookies wouldn't accept anything less now. I think the Wall Street example is a completely different situation they're dealing with relays of data streams the phone connection is two way conversation with instant interaction.