New South Wales system is needed here. But in Britain we seem to just accept that bookies can do what they like. The execs running the firms are just after their next bonus and the footsoldiers working for bookmakers are clueless. In the UK betting is supposed to be a bit of fun.

Punters who win here are generally so scared of revealing who they are (as they will be even less likely to get on) that we do nothing.

In Australia punters got organised and caused real change. NSW racing backed punters and the the NSW government followed. Unfortunately it is only for Australian based customers. Bet3.65 refused bets from me for NSW as I do not live in Australia.

Real change will only happen here if people campaign for it to happen. If we got together and formed something like this changing will happen.

http://fairwageringaustralia.com/

Mate of mine has no clue about form, just throws a few even money/odds-on shots in a multiple most days, to see if he can click a few quid. He won a few hundred over the past month and he went on to Paddy Powderpuffs online to put his multiple bet on today. No multiples allowed......

What chance have you got???

Competition?

"But there is still a number of large foreign corporates who believe their bookmaker’s license is an entitlement, and they shouldn’t be saddled with the competitive forces that every other business in Australia faces. A bookmakers license is the privilege of framing a market with the percentage in your favour, and going about laying every runner to make your margin. This seems to have been forgotten"

thanks for the link @frog2

Looking at the odds for tomorrows racing at Randwick (where min bets rule applies) and Flemington (where it does not) there are no differences in the overrounds being offered at this stage.

The minimum bet rule comes in at 9am on day of the race (2pm for night racing). To lose a min of around £1000 for city meetings and £500 for small meetings to all punters at advertised prices. Some tried to offer winners worse prices but that was soon exposed and stamped out.

What changes would a rule like this make in the UK?

1. Probably no more fantasy prices for maiden races so less races priced up.

2. The end of the fantasy best odds guarenteed offer for serial losers.

3. Slightly higher overrounds for the races priced up.

At the moment bookmakers have to make crazy offers and close accounts to compete. That is the business model. Any bookmaker not closing accounts cannot compete with making offers. This means all the losers go to bookmakers who close people down. A bookmaker will struggle with no mug account.

If a rule like the one in New South Wales came in and it was followed with an outright ban on discrimination of offers just to losers all bookmakers would compete on level playing field.

The positive thing for the industry is no one would be closed down. When they say 'only' 2% are restricted they are talking about tens of thousands of punters being restricted. These are not all going to be long term winners from racing. Most will lose. Racing is losing levy as a result of thousands of punters being locked out of betting on the sport.

Did Hislop and Mellish discuss it in the context of the NSW rules?

Its naive to think one bookmaker would do it alone. It would only work if it was industry wide. The corporate bookmakers will still be making a profit in NSW probably with a bigger turnover and lower margin.

The UK corporate bookmakers think they can do what they like and get away with it. Part of the reason is because we, as punters and the media, seem to just accept it.

In Australia people stood up to them and got a change in policy. I think the tide is changing here. The government has brought in the point of consumption tax after they renegged on the deal to be based in the UK after the turnover duty ended. The government is also taxing FOBTs and allowing councils more choice on licencing. This in part is due to the excellent campaigning against FOBTs here.

We just need an organised campaign to bring in fair gambling here.

The High Street chains "interest" in racing is merely a necessary evil.

They have to keep the racing show on the road to prevent the notion that their shops are no more than mini casinos gaining further traction.

They do this by putting money into sponsorship claiming that these are  vast sums (which they are to racing, because "racing" has proved particularly inept at generating income from them,  but are but a drop in the ocean compared to the money generated by keeping the shops open and permitting the cash cow that is the FOBT.

Trading Dept's have been dumbed down (Betfair odds checkers would be a more apt description) thus they simply do not have the confidence to lay anyone who is not a proven serial loser. Of course in adopting this policy they have excluded people who would lose long term but in the context of the FOBT income this is of no consequence.

Truly they are F****d when the FOBTS are banned or restricted..

All the energy goes into protecting this myth that they are racing's friend, lay huge bets and represent a fair opponent with whom one can have a fair bet.-.The BHA of course fall hook line and sinker for it.

The most scorn of course should be reserved for the media gravy trainers who utter not one word of criticism  - supine and shameless.

Apart from Pinnacle, mentioned earlier, is there any bookies that will stand their ground & accommodate winning punters? (Within reason, say stakes up to £100.)

and as far as i know pinnicle dont do racing.they are a very fair sports betting company.though the amount of id you need to get started with them is unreal.

Just to be clear we are not talking about people that want to have a massive plunge to win 5 figure sums getting their bets taken without question.

It is just a wish for the bloke who wants £50 on 10/1 shot in the main race of the day not to be locked out betting on racing because some of the horses he backed in the past had a shorter sp. I do not see why the RUK crew think it is naive to expect that.

Are Coral still honouring their offer in the shops to lay all Channel 4 races to lose £5k to any punter?

the year kevin blake(irish journalist) wrote his v good book(it can be done) about making it pay over a year.he got on no problem with ladbrok wasnt knocked back once..