Sid Huller

Not sure where to begin with this… but here goes. Prior to the Cheltenham Festival many of you will remember I did a Podcast (The Annual Naiad), which can be found here from 3m40s in: youtube.com/watch?v=WJrXqxj-… In the podacast I asked the 1.4k people who watched the Podcast to do the Mikey O’Sullivan Marine Nationale/Jazzy Matty double and to donate 10% of those winnings to Mikey’s family. I myself did the same bet live on the Podcast to camera with @BetMGMUK. The bet was to return £10k, and I pledged to donate all of the returns to the pot. When it came to the Festival the Racing Gods were smiling, and both horses won, and I immediately went to my BetMGM account but couldn’t find the bet. Ironically BetMGM were sponsoring at Cheltenham that day, so I went to seek one of their Representatives out. Sadly they had all decided to abandon ship well before racing ended that day, and I couldn’t find anyone to speak to. On reflection, the only thing that could possible have happened was that the bet was referred to a Trader, and said Trader must have rejected the bet while I continued with the Podcast completely oblivious. All well and good you’d think because there should be a log of the event. However, after some considerable chasing through racing contacts to try to get to someone senior in their PR or Commercial Team I drew a bland and started the onerous procedure of trying to do it through the customer service call centre. Actually the front line were quite helpful, if a bit slow. I was however told that any records of a transaction like this disappear after 14 days, and by that stage 14 days had already passed. They would however raise it to someone more senior. Finally after many weeks and a couple more interactions, I’ve now finally been told that they can’t find a record and won’t do anything. Not even a gesture of goodwill donated to the fund. All I had asked was, that given the very specific circumstances, the fact that it’s been recorded on a podcast, and it is for the most worthy of causes, that they may want to make a donation anyway. Which in the grand scheme is absolutely nothing to @BetMGMUK. Just for their PR budget it’s a drop in the ocean, and would have been very good for them to be seen to do something. Not least because of the circumstances with regards how it happened, and on the day they were at their highest profile, having spent a fortune on Marketing, including sending people for all expenses paid trips to Vegas. So, despite it being on video. Despite the context. Despite the cause. Despite them sponsoring on the day. Despite the fortune they spent on Marketing and PR on that day. BetMGM have said No Donation. No Help. Case Closed. I’m not one for drama—but this has floored me. Not just because of the lost bet. But because a firm making millions from racing, on the very day they were sponsoring, won’t even consider a goodwill gesture. And for something that means so much to so many people in Racing. I'm just appalled that someone @BetMGMUK can't see what the right thing was to do, irrespective of the positive publicity they could have generated by doing it. So why am I writing this now: 1.To make everyone in racing circles aware what has happened. 2.So that someone in the BetMGM PR Team reads this and either has the courage to contact me to discuss it, or even better decides to act and do something positive. 3.So that those of you in the Racing Media may try to step in, both by using your influence, your contacts in the betting industry, and will retweet to your followers who may do likewise. 4.So that those of you that do ‘Racing Twitter’ will retweet this tagging @BetMGM in to increase the likelihood of getting a response from someone senior in the business. 5.So that those of you that pledged to donate will still do so justgiving.com/crowdfunding/… 6.Because some of you that didn’t watch the Podcast may want to donate anyway 7.So that if BetMGM don’t decide to do the right thing, then perhaps another Bookmaker or Organisation may wish to do so. And may do so anyway. Let’s show BetMGM just how much Racing, the Racing Media, and Racing Social Media care. Could I ask that if you’ve read this that you retweet it as far and wide, and as often as possible, and if you don’t mind, several times over the next week. Each time tagging in l until someone senior decides to get in touch to discuss the decision someone in their organisation has made. Your help with this would be very much appreciated. Paul