PARTICIPANT SURVEY – BOARD DECISION
Wednesday 15 September 2021

A survey was conducted in the first week of September to seek participant feedback on four different prize money allocation packages.

Despite receiving 1,866 responses in total there was no clear majority for any specific package or package component, therefore the results for least preferred package/component and lowest ranked package/component carried significant weight for the Board when identifying the most acceptable package overall. 

Based on individual question results, Package 3 and Package 4 were the clear favourites, however when compared head to head:

• For package satisfaction, Package 3 received a slightly higher Satisfied rating, while Package 4 received a higher Dissatisfied rating, therefore Package 3 is acceptable to most.
• For package ranking, Package 4 received the most Rank 1s but also the most Rank 4s – at similar rates – however Package 3 received the most Rank 1s and 2s combined and the least Rank 4s, therefore Package 3 is acceptable to most.
• For component ranking, Adding 4^th Place (Package 3) received more rankings as participants’ top 2 and top 3 combined options than Adding Unplaced (Package 4), and received less rankings as participants’ bottom 2 and bottom 3 options than Adding Unplaced (Package 4), therefore Package 3 is acceptable to most.

From a participant perspective, the survey results provide a clear statement that most participants both prefer and are satisfied with Package 3, ahead of Package 4.  In arriving at the decision, the Board also took into consideration concerns raised by the ICG and the Racing Reference Group in their feedback about the potential for unintended welfare impacts arising from Package 4.

The Board also noted there is participant interest in future consultation on a rebalancing of prize money place ratios given the level of support indicated in the survey results.

A range of options will be developed with participant feedback sought to enable options refinement and participant consultation through survey. This process is likely to commence 2022.

Participants should be aware that while the payment of 4^th Place will occur automatically for races held from 1 October 2021, it will take up to a month for 4^th Place prize money to appear in form guides and on FastTrack screens.

GRV Chair Peita Duncan on how the $5.3M increase in prize money for Victorian greyhound racing will be allocated from 1 October 2021.