If the arbs are scum, what are the people who ask for 10/1 when the books are going 12/1?

All the arb does is accommodate the bloke who can't get on with the books, and take a commission for doing it.
Why would anyone deny them the right to do a deal that pleases them both?

I see.  So you're running a semi charitable approach, whereby you could make more money by taking certain bets, but choose not to because you're such a Samaritan and want to spread the love?  Don't make me laugh. 

Principles seem to go out of the window when you've got a crew prowling the streets of various cities over the UK, hitting these bets multiple times.  If you're such a fair player, why not bet the limit in the shop and then have done with it?  As I say, whatever you need to tell yourself.

Why is there this assumption that if you arb then that must be all you're capable of doing? Arbing can be just a single part of a well rounded holistic strategy. Personally I do a bit of everything and I know of others who do the same.

Strange!

and running a team of placers is benevolence personified? You and you're ilk can only be shortening prices earlier than would otherwise be the case. This obviously impacts the regular lone punter severely.

If that isn't selfish I don't know what is!

RTB - I'm talking overall. The Arber is taking a price that is out of line and doing the other side or laying on here for a net profit margin that is very low. They have to do so because they don't have the knowledge base of which side is out of line but understand the fact that its out of line enough to get their 0.5% - 1% guaranteed profit.

I just, and again this is my opinion feel this is selfish behaviour because they are denying that price to someone who may have the skill to know that price is out 25% and can make a huge profit from it (hurting the bookmaker overall more)

Anyway, whatever I say its going to continue until a time where their software doesn't allow it or they tighten their margins further so it doesn't happen. The net result will be everyone is worse off. To be honest there isn't enough money in the game nowadays to afford the likes of arbers to siphon off free money. I understand their reasoning but they are killing the game. I understand the counter argument you're gonna say I'm taking money out of the game too BUT the difference is I am playing the game that the bookies designed and have full control over (more so than ever now with technology). Its just I play the game better than they do. Arbers are just taking out chunks of the pie without having played the game which has always been about risk/reward.

This is my last post on the thread - its been an interesting debate and I'll leave you with the question " What will you the arbers do when arbs no longer exist or there are so few of them to make it worthwhile?" I know I can still survive albeit at lower margins. Are you going to learn to pay for your buzz like the majority, get out the game or try and beat the game fair and square?

I wish you all luck in all scenarios that will inevitably happen. The Free Lunch can't last for too much longer in the present climate.

I'd take issue with a few of your points.  You're just guessing at the profit margin; do you have any factual basis for it, or have you just made up an artifically low amount to help your agenda?  Also, I think that it's fairly obvious that the bookie will be out of line 99.9% of the time, given that Betfair is about as good a tissue as you can possibly get.

racingguru - you're not the world's premier gambler.  Therefore, by your logic, it's incredibly selfish of you (and, of course, your swarm of placers) to hop on these bets when there's others out there who could extract slighly more value out of them.  Or you could step into the real world and get on what you can, when you can, and make the best out of it.

The only way of evaluating who does best is to stick your P&L up for the last few years and get an arber to do the same.  My guess is that a fair few arbers who know their stuff would blow you out of the water.

as i said, u cannot blame the arbers,
i used to bet outside [ greyhounds ] and if we was going to take 3/1 first show
99/100 money would appear at 5/2 six minutes before the off

Nothing like a delusional expert to comment. Does this guru not beat the odds consistently? If so then to a book there is no difference, neither are wanted by commercial bookmakers.

Hi casaam, I sent a message.

Interesting debate though

Betfair in talking complete cobblers SHOCKER.  Why would some shrewd enough to pay premium charge be dumb enough to ruin a bookie account by using it to arb?

Also to comment on this quote

"racingguru  There is nothing on here but pennies before noon"


Then it's not arbers is it!!  It's not rocket science.  The reason bookmakers shorten horse prices is because it is an arb not because they've taken any money on it.  That's not rocket science either.

No arbers would need to use Betfair for main markets. Smarkets 2% and no PC along with the other low commission exchanges are far and away much superior.

Exactly.

Hence why I said ... I bet anyone on Premium Charge wishes they'd arbed in the past.

You do the arbing BEFORE the rest of your betting might make you liable for the Premium Charge. That way you don't actually incur it. So you can carry on arbing where possible, and by extension carry on avoiding the Premium Charge.