Community Question and Answer session

They are being sponsored by ATR so expect a long delay

Well, thanks for the reply DOUBLED. I was begining to think I'd read it all wrong. How many days to they need? No doubt they have been bombarded with thousands of E.Mails.

I'm particulary interested in their replies re cross matching....

*do

Other than a few promising improvements to security, it was another textbook responding exercise.

Here's one cross matching question they answered stewarty

CROSS MATCHING

Why does Betfair not pay back profits from cross-matching to its users? Why do you keep the money you make from it to yourselves, and not redistribute it like in Australia?

The regulator of the exchange operated by Betfair Australia has different regulations and stipulations than our regulators in Gibraltar and Malta
James, Legal Counsel

Hardly an answer to the question, may as well have just said 'because we can'

I couldn't post after reading it all for some reason. Ayways, you beat me to it Joe. Unbelievable.

You have said previously that having an exposure limit at market/selection level is too complex and would slow the site down. Is that still your opinion? Security and detection would be enhanced as long as exposure level changes took, say, three days to become effective. (Getafix)

It’s not something that would particularly slow the site down, although it is also something we have not had many requests for before. In fact, this is the first time I’ve personally heard of anyone ask for it. It’s not something that we are planning to introduce at the moment.
Iain, Sports Product Mathematician


I asked them this same question, and also raised the issue at a previous Q&A (where they gave another non-answer). Nice to see that these Q&As are ignored by Betfair.

Incidentally, I see that Betfair again offered no commitments or specific timelines to any of the feedback, other than their usual "we're looking into it" or "we've though about doing it". It's especially annoying because they have been giving these answers to the security issues on the site for well over a year now. Repeating the same statements again in a new Q&A does not re-assure me.

Also, it is depressing to see the frequent references to their Customer Commitment. They published this a while ago, so the fact that people are bringing complaints up *now* means that the issues raised haven't been solved by this so-called commitment. Referring to the document therefore proves nothing.

What stops your employees from memorising my betting details, writing them down, copying them, taking screen shot pictures on their I-phone etc and then going home and spending some time replicating what I do? (RTTF, Edinburgh)

There is extensive monitoring of staff access to customer personal information and betting activity, with any identified unusual activity fully investigated. The betting activity of staff is also thoroughly monitored, and any activity which may be related to the betting activity of customers is fully investigated. This monitoring also extends to any accounts shown to be linked to those of staff members (e.g. friends and family accounts).
Ian – Manager, Security


Security newbie: Fk me, there's an account here with a near perfect laying and backing record and yet it shows no links to any particular trainer or jockey. In fact it seems to cover the whole spectrum of insiders.

Ian: That's oor account ya stupid kvnt.

Feck, was it you that said cross-matcing was one of the better things BF had introduced? If it was, was that a wind up or does it put the fly in the ointment for traders?


(I'm not 100% clued up on the matter)

It was me stewarty and it wasn't a wind up. It fecks the scalpers while making it easier to get matched.

while making it easier to get matched.





This is where my confusion lies Feck. I srarted a thread on here approx 9-12 months ago about blatantly not getting matched in a particular race. I'm pretty sure of the thread title but I can't be bothered trolling throug the archives.


I was up a few bob for the day and decided to call it quits. However I got greedy and had already read the form of a particular  race and had it narrowed down to 3 selections. I decided I would stick a ton on whitchever horse was the best value.

It was about 10 minutes before the off and the liquidity was 'fair'.

I can't remember the prices, so this will just be an example.

There was approx £150 available on horse A at 9.0 which I stuck a ton on at the back odds, only for it to disappear when I pushed the submit button.

I then tried to back horse B at 7.0 for a ton when there was 80 quid available, only for the odds to disappear again after the submit button. 
Frustated and confused, I stuck a ton on horse C at 5.0 (again on the back side with approx 200 available)

Same thing happened again!!

I asked about this scenerio on here and got a few replies including one from yoursely which If I can remember correctly, said, 'could it be cross matching stewarty'.

I never replied to that particular post because I disn't understand what cross-matching was.


I know a good deal more about cross matching now, and have been a 'victim' of it since.

I never had a bet on that paricular race because I thought the bots were trying to shaft me.

Little did I knoe that it we BF's bots....  (I think!!)

Horse markets have Saint Vitus Dance stewarty. The way and speed with which they swing back and forth is unnatural but I don't think that's the fault of the cross matcher. More to do with the stupid interface accommodating spoofers imo.

You're most probably right Feck, but for 100 quid? And it was 10 minutes before the off.

Anyways, upwards and onwards. If I come across this scenario too often I will place any largish win bets on the lay side. (which I normally do) If I can't get matched, I will reach for the phone.... (so far, so good)

All I ask for is to read the form to the best of my ability, place my bets, and get a fair deal on here.

As for my typo's on my previous post, my only excuse is that I get my head down on the keyboard, typing away feverishly, whilst due to my hard hitting of the keyboard, it is missing five letters. (tipex didn't do the trick!)

* I forgot to add, with one finger.