The Roma Races mark the start of the wet season for many in outback Queensland. 

But away from the bustling crowd, the track will have something missing for the first time in a decade. 

It will be holding its first non-TAB meet today after being cut from Racing Queensland’s circuit late last year.

It is a sign of a thoroughbred racing industry grappling with declining wagering nationwide.

Roma Turf Club co-president Peter Flynn said having a TAB meet increased the amount and class of owners and trainers wanting to race at the track. 

Despite the blow, the club has kept its reputation for high-stakes prize money and raised $127,000 for the event. 

Mr Flynn said the committee was not going to “sit down and take normal prize money”.

“It’s the richest regional race meeting in Queensland, single-day race meeting, and the club is very proud of that,” he said.

Bets are down

Racing Queensland said the decision to cut Roma out of its TAB circuit was due to declining wagering. 

Chief executive Jason Scott said the downturn had been felt nationwide. 

“Sportsbet is the biggest bookmaker in the country, and their figures have shown their turnover was down 8 per cent yet their profit was up 12 per cent,” he said.

Mr Scott said Racing Queensland had noticed a decline in wagering across the board. 

“Of a revenue of $420 million, that’s about $60 million that has disappeared,” he said

That is despite Racing Queensland adding extra meetings in Townsville, Bundaberg and Ipswich over the past decade.

Mr Scott said in a bid to chase the wagering dollar, the market was over-saturated.

Television scheduling also posed a problem for Saturday race meets like the Roma Cup, as they were at a premium on betting channels.

“It’s just Saturdays that are so full,” Mr Scott said.

“If we didn’t have the financial problems we are under, we would certainly have more TAB meetings.”

Community backs the Cup

Off the track, the crowds at Roma have remained bumper over the years. 

One of state’s largest country meets, the event signifies anything from an annual get-together, time to return home from working up north, to frocking up in sweltering heat. 

Mr Flynn said the social aspect was a major part of the Roma Cup. 

“We would love to go back on the TAB circuit, but the chances of that are unsure.”

The Roma Cup attracts several thousand attendees each year and 2024 is no exception. 

Accommodation in town is sold out for the event, and it is a popular event with young people. 

“We certainly have a number of university students who have completed their studies for the year and head further out west for it,” Mr Flynn said.

“The Young Beef Producers forum has also led into the Roma Cup for several years now.”

The Roma Turf Club will meet before the end of the year as it waits to find out if it has made the 2025 TAB circuit. 

Racing Queensland’s Jason Scott said the future of country races may need to become more flexible on dates and timings.

“For us to survive, we’ve got to be nimble to change the way that things have always been done,” he said.