General Betting
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Today for the first time I attempted to have abet at fixed odds, I asked for
500 ew, i was offered £12, on par with skybet.
Now, first things first, I didnt expect the bet to be excepted in full,
because I knew I would be marked through my exchange history.
But when you examine the facts , it bears ill for betfair shareholders,
betfair exchange has an unrivalled product in exchange betting, they are top
of the tree, the brand is without equal.
They have decided to branch into fixed odds, they must have invested
millions in the product, but by offering punters a pittance of a bet it
doesnt equate, its ridiculous, its like tesco deciding to compete with the
corner shop, so what??, its ladbrokes, and hills and 365 who you are going
have to compete with to justify your fixed odds fixation.
A startup from the school playground will accept bets of £12,on fact I
remember plenty of £20 bets whilst still at school, its pathetic.
You are going to make your brand a laughing stock, on par with skybet, and
sporting bet.
Betfair you are going to spunk away everything you have earned from the fantasic exchange vision which your founders envisaged, for a gamble on fixed odds, which frankly, you have neither the skill, or experience to fulfil.
500 ew, i was offered £12, on par with skybet.
Now, first things first, I didnt expect the bet to be excepted in full,
because I knew I would be marked through my exchange history.
But when you examine the facts , it bears ill for betfair shareholders,
betfair exchange has an unrivalled product in exchange betting, they are top
of the tree, the brand is without equal.
They have decided to branch into fixed odds, they must have invested
millions in the product, but by offering punters a pittance of a bet it
doesnt equate, its ridiculous, its like tesco deciding to compete with the
corner shop, so what??, its ladbrokes, and hills and 365 who you are going
have to compete with to justify your fixed odds fixation.
A startup from the school playground will accept bets of £12,on fact I
remember plenty of £20 bets whilst still at school, its pathetic.
You are going to make your brand a laughing stock, on par with skybet, and
sporting bet.
Betfair you are going to spunk away everything you have earned from the fantasic exchange vision which your founders envisaged, for a gamble on fixed odds, which frankly, you have neither the skill, or experience to fulfil.
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I tried to bet Tiger Woods for the masters on fixed odds last week . Was allowed a max of £25.00
Anyone who has won anything on the exchange is not welcome at fixed odds, they only want you to bet exchange and carve you up for premium charges, a quite vile organisation in my very honest opinion. |
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I think its fair to say that the current fixed odds website is very very poor. It is characterised by terrible prices and terrible limits. It has joined the current fad of being a soft bookie - i.e. refusing bets to anyone who has a clue. In short it is a pathetic offering and if it was launched without the Betfair name it would not last five minutes.
Betfair is struggling to find its identity. In the early years it was all about 'winners welcome', 'sharp minds betfair'. When they took over Flutter they stressed that the merged markets would mean more liquidity and thus higher limits for customers. They developed the technology to match more bets that than all the European exchanges put together. Then what did they do? They started looking for soft targets. They branched out into games and poker. At the time it was all still person to person. I remember one of the founders telling me they were not being greedy and they were sticking to their p2p principles. Then came the casino. The p2p games were replaced by ones run by Betfair themselves. The crossmatcher came in - to this day I still dont know if it gets to beat the clock inrunning to match bets. This was still not enough. They have since walked further from the starting point. They introduced the Premium Charge. Uproar at 20%. But really this would only affect traders, cheats and extremely good position gamblers. Then it went up to 40% and 60%. Now 40% gets all good big players. Arbers - gone. Decent position gamblers who have a long term return of over 3% on stakes - gone or slowly moving. The consequences of the Premium Charge are huge. Then there are the data charges and bet placement charges. Great in theory. But a 1000 bets an hour max? Try pricing up and adjusting books for 30 races or football matches a day (with all their secondary markets) with that. You cannot. So early markets are no more. So what started as the perfect limit order book market has evolved into a monster. It has not been helped by the lack of regulation by Betfair itself. Instead of the Premium Charge why did they not look to level the playing field? Encourage people to leave offers up rather than take them with commission rebates. Get rid of obviously unfair markets like inplay horses until real time streams are available. Not allow connections to bet on here. The list is endless. Betfair could have hired someone who has experience of running a real exchange to run the company. Prices and policies and new markets would have been completely different. Maybe LMAX would not have failed if this was the case. But we now have an out and out industry man at the helm hired out of another soft bookie. So what can we expect going forward? I would have liked to have seen a lot more thought going into the sportsbook. There are some bookmakers that do actually take bets and offer sharp lines using a proper dealer market. If Betfair had gone down that route I could see the point of it. If they could have offered decent prices to a fixed amount to everyone and adjust the lines if they believe a sharp has just placed a bet they could have had a winning product. The UK is crying out for this. Surely a crack trading team is capable of building the software to do this. A rubbish sportsbook is a bad fit for the exchange. They need a fair limit decent price one. Lower margin yes but much much higher volume. |
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i still cant see the logic behind it, its beyond comprehension
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Frog 2
One of the best and most honest post's I have read on this forum highlighting the never ending downhill spiral the Betfair appears to be taking. |
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agreed, just finished reading it, superb summary
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Frog is right. Unless it's a top product, the sportsbook will just further damage the Betfair brand, confusing customers and distracting the company from the focus needed to restore the fortunes of the ailing exchange.
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Is the bottom line for them not their share price? what's the difference between now and this time last year and the year before etc.?
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I like your post frog.
I am convinced the original directors would have made much more use of their exchange product to produce a sports book that would have wiped the competition. One difference between times gone by and now is that the original directors aimed to improve their product; the current directors aim to improve profits. the directors dont have that original feel for the product and their goal is solely to increase their own remuneration. |
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Target set for year ended 30th April 2015. Thats another 25 months to make Betfair work which is not too short term..
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PITY the poor, traditional bookmaker. His familiar world is rapidly falling apart. Generations of monopoly over enslaved punters have already met challenges from the Internet and tax-free offshore rivals. Now even the last bastion of bookmaking - the ability to set the odds - is being taken away. As from today, those who have longed to back the Derby favourite, King's Best, at 5-1 rather than 3-1, or to take the money of anyone foolish enough to think that England can win Euro 2000, can theoretically do so. The opportunity comes courtesy of a revolutionary form of betting that banishes those irritating middlemen with their sheepskins, sleek limos and bulging satchels.
The idea has been kept carefully under wraps for months but tonight, in Covent Garden, just in time for one of the headiest sports betting weekends of the year, it will be launched to a gathering of gamblers and celebrities. A company called betfair, describing itself as a "sports betting exchange", essentially gives the punter a chance to decide his own odds. Put simply, the mechanism is a website that provides a dynamic screen on which it will be possible to call up a variety of sports events, nominate a bet and await it being taken by some other anonymous gambler in cyberspace. Participation will be restricted to account holders, who will be required to deposit a sum of money that will either grow or shrink depending on their success rate. It is all the brainchild of Andrew Black, a sports-mad computer analyst, whose background includes being thrown out of university for failing exams and spending successive years as a professional gambler and a full-time bridge player. "I've worked in the city and I have always gambled on sport," Black explained. "It was an extension of both activities to come up with a trading system for sports betting." Conventional bookmakers will view this as yet another threat to their once sacred territory and will bridle at their role in the launch today, when a mock funeral cortège for bookmakers is staged through the City's square mile. Leaflets will be distributed simultaneously outside Underground stations proclaiming "The bookie is dead" and bidding a sombre farewell to the turf accountant "who emptied punters' pockets, took shirts off their backs, never made a decent price and died with the birth of open-market betting". Such audacity, from a marketing team that includes Mark Davies, the son of BBC sports commentator, Barry, will ensure irksome questions about the legality of a scheme that ignores betting conventions. It seems that betfair has already covered this problem, however, as Linklaters, the firm of solicitors, is a shareholder in the company. "They assure us that we don't need to pay betting tax because, effectively, we are brokers rather than bookmakers," Black said. The new company will make its profits through commission on winning bets. It begins trading today on Epsom's big races and Euro 2000, but its parameters could spread in unusual directions. "As we don't need specialist odds-layers, we can offer any sporting event at all," Black said. "We will put up sumo wrestling if people want it, so long as we can authenticate the results." |
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Yep a fantastic summary frog
If not for the monopoly position this company would be long dead, absolutely horrific what they've done to this once brilliant site. Nearly all my bets nowadays are placed at the few bookies who still welcome me. When paying the premium charge betfair is nearly always worse value than the high street. Thanks a bunch betfair |
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"I don't agree with it, therefore it's rubbish" thread.
Betfair is a business. It determined that an Exchange model offers low returns, and so is now concentrating on other forms of income and growth. And why not? Why not enter the Sportsbook markets? Why sit back and watch competitors get rich by offering rubbish sportsbooks? That's where the money is. Why not use it's international brand name to profit? That's what successful businesses do - adapt or die. So the ultimate question is, can an Exchange model ever be as profitable as a sportsbook? |
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Mr Angry, you're right. Betfair is a business. Take a look at the share price to get an idea of how investors think they're getting on.
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1. It was overvalued from the start.
2. Recent international licencing issues have dented future prospects. That has zero to do with PC and Exchange. |
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Why sit back and watch competitors get rich by offering rubbish sportsbooks?
I must of missed something? what exactly is NOT rubbish about this one. It's just one to add to the list. |
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Dozens of substandard sportsbooks have closed down or sold at a loss. 10s or even hundreds of millions have been spent on software for them. Even more on marketing and bonuses.
Like the games and poker as an individual entity on the p and l it might appear to make profit but the damage it does to the brand and stunting the growth of the exchange is unquantifiable. |
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I don't think anyone disagrees that Betfair (now at the mercy of shareholders) look at all other ways
to make additional revenue. The problem they have introduced is confusion of their brand. There were 3 main selling points to Betfair previously: 1) Better prices 2) Ability to Lay 3) To offer prices. The sportsbook offers none of the above. There is nothing unique about the sportsbook. It will just confuse and thus dillute the exchange. Very risky imo. What they should have done is released the sportsbook under a different name/website, fine that it would be under Betfair umbrella - there would then be a clear distinction. The addition of games/casino etc to Betfair was fine (in this context) because these are "different" types of betting (there is no confusion). I understand that they want to re-use their brand name but this is the issue. Everyone knows Betfair as being an exchange! Potential new customers will be confused what it is, and where to go and why they can't get the good odds as advertised etc. There is rumour of Betfair buying out BluSqr, if this is true, I wonder why they didn't just wait and put the sportsbook behind that? If not true, a separate site with different marketing would make much more sense (imo). The opportunity Betfair have with their own sportsbook is they can lay off bets on Betfair without having to pay PC/Commission (for a risk-free profit) so they should do pretty well with a sportsbook as a different entity still. They may even be able to beat the clock inrunning to lay off bets - though not sure this would be legal (certainly doesn't seem ethical). |
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*I don't think anyone disagrees that Betfair (now at the mercy of shareholders) shouldn't look
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There were 3 main selling
points to Betfair previously: 1) Better prices 2) Ability to Lay 3) To offer prices. And now there is: 1. Exchange functionality 2. Sportsbook 3. Casino 4. Arcade 5. Slots 6. International brand recognition Just like any other of the big names, plus a built in Exchange. |
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Casino arcade and slots are aload of crap imo.
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If they make money they are not crap, imo.
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They are if they get blacklisted and destroy the reputation of your brand.
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Ah, so you ARE concerned about the interests of Betfair shareholders. You don't want to see their brand ruined. Fair enough, that's very good of you.
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They're not good for punters, obviously, otherwise they wouldn't be offered by BF, the kind of people that use the games, arcades, Poker and casinos are the type that hang around betting shops walking around aimlessly wondering whether he should go back in to play Russian Roulette with the last few pounds of his dole money, you can't win on them long term, the only thing bf is good for these days is losing money - on the exchange.
It kind of reminds me of when they was fuel shortage in the UK one year, one petrol station put his prices up so high to take advantage knowing their was little alternative for those running low, the car owners paid but never returned, he went bust. Betquack as useless a competitor as they have been may be the end of them now their in ladcooks hands. |
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BETFAIR WAS EXCELLENT IN THE EARLY YEARS
WHY ITS execs and shareholders cannot realise that the PC SUPERTAX and MOVE FROM EXCHANGE PERSON TO PERSON BETTING and SPORTSBOOK/BOOKMAKING is BAD FOR EXCHANGE PUNTERS AND THEMSELVES IS BEYOND ME IMO BETFAIR SHOULD 1. SCREP THE PC 2. OFFER COMMISSION BASED PRICING RELATIVE TO COMMISSION AND WINNINGS (LOSERS PAY LESS/BIG WINNERS PAY MORE, CAPPED AT SAY 7-8%) 3. OFFER SPORTSBOOK/POKER/ARCADES UNDER DIFFERENT COMPANY (PAR OF BETFAIR) 4. RE-ESTABLISH BETFAIR AS A PERSON TO PERSON BETTING EXCHANGE BEFORE IT IS FINISHED |
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5. GO BUST.
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some of the best companies have just done that by not listening to their CORE customers and then adapting
BETFAIR WOULD BE FINISHED IF IT SCRAPPED IN RUNNING ACROSS ALL MARKETS AND/OR ALLOWED TRADERS NOT TO LOCK IN PROFITS LOSSES |
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Betfair is still the greatest thing since sliced bread.
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the best bread nowadays is not sliced artie
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Yu knu wot a meean Jummy.
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Imv the main reason that bf's second 6-7 years or so have not matched the massive success of their first is the greed of a second generation of non-founding executives who have seen the wealth of Messrs Wray and Black and wanted a piece for themselves.
Customers were always going to be marginally more difficult to acquire, but the essential model of a person-to-person exchange was superior to anything conventional bookmakers cd offer on horses or other multi-runner markets. Original bf cd have gone on to destroy the opposition and become a dominant form of online betting. Instead bf went on to become another industry player, w/ their terrible reputation-damaging sportsbook, cosy relationships with other books and increasing revolving-door employment policies w/ the FO firms. The company need to recover their central idea--the exchange--but I can't see it happening as 1) it isn't making them enough to justify the original stock market valuation, and 2) different execs have entirely diff. views of the company, with some of the most energetic championing games (a growth area) and mobile. In the end, only the exchange and pricing-based dominance of markets like horses can make bf a bigger company than 3.65 or Viktor. But over the longest term, I doubt it will be bf that dominates the global betting market. It will be an exchange run as a legal monopoly in its own territory by the Chinese govt. |
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The existence of a crack trading team is the biggest myth of the year. It is obvious from the sportsbook that no trading team is being employed at all.
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and how many inexperienced customers r using the sportsbook thinking it's the exchange? my mum for 1!!
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Actually I have just found that the do take a bet so I take back the above. They just layed £100 at 21 on Sand And Deliver in the 14.45. Other firms were only offering it to takeout £1k. The exchange had virtually nothing up.
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frog2
would you adam ant eve it !!  |
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Betfairs "does your bookie give you value" advert comparing prices has just been on Sky suprised they are still running this.
The small print says "exchange prices only" but there is no reference to the web address. And as we know if you goto Betfair.com you get the sportsbook. Very misleading in my opinion. Strangely the next ad shown was someone complaining about a website called compare the merkat confusing customers! |
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Firstly, Return on Investment determines whether a product is profitable. Revenue is irrelevant. BF's exchange will be several times more profitable than say B365's sportsbook.
Secondly, when you have a unique brand. It is business suicide to dilute that brand unless the dilution brings large profits. I see no evidence this is the case. Thirdly, the IT world is littered with companies that acquired other technology companies and lost several times their original investment, as management was distracted trying to integrate the acquisition and make it work. Having said that, BF running a sports book does make sense, but it needs to be a separate business under a separate brand. |
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I am sure their are some individuals on here given the balance of probability who will most likely make substantial profits if Betfair allows them unbridled access to the exchanges sportsbook.
Fact..........Betfair is a business Second fact...the reason many of the people on this thread are getting so annoyed is, that they too beleieve that they would make substanial winnings if allowed a free rein on the sportsbook. Why should Betfair act like a benevolment uncle to profresonal gamblers it is not a charity. If you ran a business and you knew certain clients lost you money would you continue with that relationship? Well would you? |
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PEOPLE USED TO THINK BETFAIR WAS THEIR FRIEND
THATS WHAT THEVE LOST |