NFL tonight is dire, looking like PC is really having an impact on the lesser sports !!

Surely the sportsbook is a far more significant reason for the decline in exchange betting activity?

Why pay such a large premium for whatever was unique about bf (the exchange), then run it into the ground?

I think the answer is surprisingly simple. PP bought a product they didn't understand.

I honestly believe that successive management teams here have failed to understand the Exchange. 

As has been said before, I think there are various elements that have contributed to where we are today (PC, markets being closed down, BFSP, PPBF etc).  The trouble is that snowball effects work going forward, but also in reverse, as we're experiencing on more and more sports/markets now...

You have bookmaking people in charge these days and it isn't in their interest to support the exchange.
There are still many punters out there who have no idea about exchange betting.

A permanent fixed rate of 2% for all in-running horse racing bets would help boost dwindling liquidity and encourage new players to get involved.

A friend of mine was using the Sportsbook on his mobile the other day, I said to him why not use the Exchange and he said because my bet won't get matched.
He had £50 on a horse and as he backed it he said wow I've just had a price boost.

I can only imagine that my friend who is in his 60s is just too scared to use the exchange and needs educating. Something I will do next time I see him.

The other problem is all these newbies that keep getting these price boosts think it's great but in truth they are just being mugged off.

1 more thing, I doubt the Sportsbook money is going back into the exchange as the other day I come across a Sportsbook price of 1.25 when it was 1.33 on the exchange on a main cricket market with 000s either side. I tried to see how much I could get on with the SB but it was just peanuts. They should be letting me have as much on as I like as they could trade out with absolute zero risk. I'm so happy i'm not a share holder.

And the funniest one is you want to place a bet on one of the side markets on the exchange only to find no money available. Go to the same market on on the Sportsbook and type in £20 @ 11/10 only for a response from the Sportsbook to say that i'm restricted to 0.90p and that I should try the Exchange.  I would but I can't even get 0.50p on the exchange.

testing

@Jack Bauer 24:
A permanent fixed rate of 2% for all in-running horse racing bets would help boost dwindling liquidity and encourage new players to get involved.


It's the non-permanent part of this two-week offer of 2% commission which is the problem. I'm not prepared to raise my staking, or place more bets, for just 2 weeks, only to find it happens to coincide with a fortnight in which I couldn't pick a winner to save my life.

If they reduced the commission to 2% permanently, then I'd really get stuck in. It would be life-changing. But they haven't, so I won't. And no doubt the report back will therefore be that there's no point in reducing commission rates, because there was no evidence it boosts turnover.

Just had 11 consecutive 1 cent bets on money I put up in the Aus Syria soccer match.

All extra liquidity is welcome and as screaming has pointed out, many current players would increase their stakes and turnover if commission was permanently fixed at 2%. If they could manage to reduce picture delays at the same time then in-running could reach its full potential.

In 2005 all you young punters.There was an American Track called Great Lakes Downs or GLD as we called it back then.
With say 10 minutes to post there was about $300,000 matched on Betfair with super tight spreads and about $1000 matched on the oncourse GLD Tote.
Great days so easy to trade and gamble away before the PC charge took over.

Great Lakes Downs USA at that time wasn't your average track at that time.Most other tracks much less was matched but
the spreads were always  tight.
Great Lakes Downs was a Bull Ring track were the horses are constantly running around a bend and heavily favoured front runners.
My point is when Betfair is Bet  Fair  to all punters then then this acts as a catalyst for very liquid markets.
Just wondered whatever happened to the Betfair revolution and winners welcome and sharp minds betfair?
Hope somehow, they are able to save the Betting Exchange.

If India ever legalises a betting exchange, bf is toast.

You can have more or less what you want on as long as all or most of the following are correct -

What you want on is less than a monkey (and that is being generous)
You aren't trying to back or lay something that isn't right at the head of the market.
You don't mind moving the price a bit and taking below the racecourse show if you happen to want to back something strong in the market.
You don't want to bet in any other market than the win market.
You are betting in the main meeting of the day.
There isn't a raceclash.

Barton, no 4 figure bets then?  You know full well that is not true and I don't know why you keep repeating it.

You can have more or less what you want on as long as all or most of the following are correct -

What you want on is less than a monkey (and that is being generous)






You found a race at Fontwell on a crowded Saturday afternoon to try and prove your point when 4 figure bets were available on all the preceding meetings.

Keep trying with bookmakers then barton and the best of luck to you as you will certainly need it.

Liquidity has certainly fallen and certain meetings on certain days have suffered badly. We just need to adapt to the changing circumstances and stop moaning about bookmakers especially. I started backing in the 1960s and it was a damned sight harder back then that it is now.

Betting on here hours before the off has been a waste of time for years now. You need to be betting 5 or 10 minutes before the off.

Doubtful in the place market.