Well, it might be different technology but its not a new bet its still the good old boxed Trifecta but is called a Trio.

It claims that Unlike a box trifecta, which consists of 6 individual bets and allows for the top three runners to be in any order, a trio bet is just one bet. Really? I am trying to locate the differences between the two but I cant find any.

What is not stated is how the Trio runners are chosen by you or randomly by the computer, as for Mystery bets. Either way, all these bets are losers before the race starts. The reason for that is that you are effectively placing the same bet on three runners which have different chances ie which will be at different SPs. So you are underbetting on one or more and overbetting on one or more, or both.

The standard boxed Trifecta has the same problem.

Fortunately, it seems Tabcorp will put both bets in the same pool so Tabcorps claim that Its the first of many exciting opportunities made possible by our merged pool technology and we look forward to unveiling more new bet types in the future is a load of codswallop.

Does it make an overall difference to customers? Its early days but it is not obvious. Trio plus Trifecta pools (NSW Tab) at Sandown last night averaged $3,141. Back a couple of weeks, without Trio, they averaged $3,329. These things vary from day to day and race to race, of course, but that result is not remarkable.

No doubt Tabcorp might have other ideas about how to utilise its new friend Nasdaq in the future. But this waffle is not it.

Incidentally, Tabcorp takes 21% out of the Trio/Trifecta pool, or ups that to 25% if it is in combination with another (overseas) operator.

Ken,
I cannot see that payout limit in the rules.

As for "small punters with little knowledge" - that's the vast majority of investors now anyway. But, yes, TABCORP's boffins would be well aware that mugs are now the backbone of greyhound betting pools today. That's why they keep pushing boxed bets, Mystery bets, Next Up and the like. They are lazy but easy to do and they are high takeout bets, meaning that TABCORP makes bigger profits from them. Trio is no more than another part of that scam.

Sure, they are also the reason that keeps greyhound racing alive but would it not be preferable to improve the product and recover some of the genuine punters we used to have?

In Tabcorps defence they are the only organisation that hasnt sent me a note that l can no longer bet on fixed odds greyhounds for commercial reasons

Rob,

What we are talking about with greyhounds is also true at the gallops. Yet the big earners (supposedly) there are the pro bets in the commission rooms, even though they would get discounts on the deduction rates - even to the stage where the previous Tasmanian tote almost went broke with kickbacks to the man from MONA.

Ideally, we should be chasing customers half way between those groups - ie your knowledgeable regular punter with a $100 or so here and there. Get the best of both worlds.