Good morning all,
Having received a justice refund for a bet I had on Sunday (I wasn't expecting it) it did make me think again about the new culture of betting and the way things have progressed (or regressed?) over the last few years.
What kind of a betting environment are we living in today? My thoughts on that and today's pick on the main piece.
On Sunday I had a fiver e/w Sue Be It in the handicap hurdle at Uttoxeter at 33-1, as a couple of pieces of her form didn't entitle her to be a 33/1 shot, but sadly I got no run for my money as she half-refused to line up and then threw poor Will Featherstone off as the tapes went up. If I'd have had a bet on course, that would have been the end of that (as was announced over the PA system afterwards, well done to Uttoxeter for doing that) but as I'd had the bet with Skybet earlier in the day, when I got home later I found the fiver had been refunded and the horse declared a non-runner under theor “justice refunds” policy.
All well and good, yes? Well, no. In truth I'd rather have lost the tenner as them's the rules. I know the risks when I place a bet and often try to use such a rule to my advantage – maybe the favourite is a short price yet you know it might be slow away, or even refuse, and you can bet something else against it at perhaps a bigger price than you should be – but such is betting now that firms are often falling over themselves to be seen to be “playing fair” in such circumstances.
Firstly, the devil in me wonders if I'd be getting a refund if Sue Be It had been a well-backed 6/4 favourite. I'd suggest not. Yet that day will come, when something very short throws the jock off at the start, or digs it's heels in, and then the fun will start. Especially if it's a high-profile race. Are the firms going to be refunding then? And if not, what will be the difference between my 33/1 poke not starting and their even money poke not starting? Nothing, yet the firms will be baulking at having to give so much money back.
The bottom line is that, the majority of us don't want gimmicks or fancy “boosted” prices, we just want to be able to get a reasonable sized bet on at the price offered. Not too much to ask, yet firms are more than happy to shut you down so quickly these days. A friend showed me his new Stan James account a couple of weeks ago – three £100 bets, he gets restricted, two more bets at £18 and £17 and his account was closed. Never had a winner but beat SP all five times. That was enough for SJ to say “no more.” It's almost beyond a joke.
We live in a betting world different than the one 30 or 40 years ago. Things have moved on very quickly, digital has more or less taken over, racing now is a commodity that sells concerts, betting now takes place mainly on the exchanges and online bookmakers are happy to throw you a bone every now and then in the hope you'll happily use their online casinos. The justice refund is now part and parcel of that. But how happily I'd give it up just to be able to have a decent bet when I want one.
As an aside, I managed to open a new account (can't say who with, someone might be reading this) through a friend a few weeks ago. I'm deliberately using it sparingly and not having huge bets on it – £20/£30 usually, most I've had was a £50 bet (and that lost) – yet after just 6 weeks bets are already being referred to traders.
I'm the grand sum of…..wait for it…..£60 up on the account. That's in about six weeks. A tenner a week. “That” email won't be long in coming, I feel!
I found the right race to take the favourites on yesterday but sadly the wrong horse, and Academy General just looks gone at the game. It's off to Perth today and one that's been given a positive mention a couple of times now as Blue Comet lines up in their opener at 2.10. A really good looking, taking individual, he caught the eye at Taunton and then was very well backed to win at Market Rasen on his reappearance. A bad mistake 2 out did for him there (might have gone close) and this looks no harder. I'd like the yard to be in slightly better form but that aside, he's got a good chance here.
Today's selection – Blue Comet 2.10 Perth
Good luck with all your bets today,
David.
Not much to add their David and sums up most punteres feelings on this matter
*punters
I disagree with you.
Let them refund the money, as we get enough bad breaks like in races where there are 8 horses and one is scratch.
SJ did a similar thing to me a few months ago.
SJ withdrew my access to the BOG facility, but did not close the account.
I now only use the account for substantial price gains. More fool SJ.
My P/L still in their favour? Does this make sense to anyone out there?
Mate,
Stick to the Exchanges, I have no sympathy with people who bet with the Bookies and get closed down.
Byron.
Long before the Internet I went to a well known bookmakers outlet in sunny Blackpool for a bet on a Nicky Connorton and J.W.Watts ‘certainty’ at Carlisle…if Mr. snatches defeat from jaws of victory Hide had been on it, (he was at York), I wouldn’t have bothered, I asked for the board price of 5/1, was wanting £20 on and got revised terms of 5/2!!!!…my reply was I won’t bother, just down the road was a divey place who took the huge lump and allowed me the price available, 9/2…and it duly won…use to be a force you could depend on them two up there, which makes the behaviour by bookmakers shown in your example as not anything really new…
I also remember when you’d go into a certain ‘careful ‘ bookmaking establishment and was faced with the sign, any single bet up to a ‘million pounds’, (at agreed terms)… that particular bookmaker still remains one of the meanest with its odds today..
They and the other lot will be the first to start screaming when it all starts going underground again…they may think that they have it all sewn up and can treat people badly but what goes around will come around…where’s there is money concerned people will devise a way around the ‘established’ pattern if they feel hard done to…always have and always will.
ALL online bookmakers are just a front for their ‘casino’ gaming sites, and those who still have outlets in the high streets are just as bad with their infernal machines taking up as space as possible…something needs to be done and the government shouldn’t allow bookmakers to have dual charge over offering odds over ‘sporting’ events AND able to offer ‘casino’ like amenities, they are two totally different entities….end of moan!
An excellent point and one that Government should be looking at but wont!
Alright Chutney
I lost another of the missus accounts today, had it a couple of months and the records show i’m up about a ton in total!
Sooner of later i’m gonna give up this game as there’s not so many accounts “we” have left. BFSP helps a bit!
I might have to sweet talk the old man into getting into the GGs!
H