Football fans being fleeced by bookies?

I’ve not done any of them for a while, but I’m sure there was a yes and no option. I mostly do over 2.5 goals now, but they are going the same way.

Thing is if you are betting over 2.5 and think it’s a poor price then you should be able to get a better price on unders. Unless they’ve changed the overround. To make it easy to understand if they’ve changed the overround then for a over/under 2.5 regarded as a coin toss you’d have got 10/11 both sides previously now you might get 5/6. Lot of variables.
 
I like doing the bookies fixed odds football coupons in the betting shops

but I generally find the fixed odds have changed when I put the line on in the betting shop.
Every fixed odds coupon I seem to put on in the betting shop has a price change, that is only is advertised at the point the coupon is put on - not exactly fixed odds then is it

I don’t go into the shops much these days, but you are right, the last few times there have been numerous price changes.
 
I like doing the bookies fixed odds football coupons in the betting shops

but I generally find the fixed odds have changed when I put the line on in the betting shop.
Every fixed odds coupon I seem to put on in the betting shop has a price change, that is only is advertised at the point the coupon is put on - not exactly fixed odds then is it

they’ve not been fixed odds for donkeys mate. The only events that are fixed odds really are lottery type stuff and virtual crap.
 
“Fury rage” I would add near bankruptcy for some!!

You come across as pretty condescending on this subject if I’m being honest

Yes bookies will always win but to do that they are quite happy to accept everything from those who lose

They give lip service to stuff, “when the fun stops, stop” shit but couldn’t care less, as long as they are winning

I'm sorry if I sound condescending, and I accept I'm on the 'Unpopular' side of the argument. But I do feel it right to point out inaccuracies and mistruths being stated.

Do you really think bookies still pay lip service to their obligations in regard to "when the fun stops?"



Just some of the eye watering fines imposed on bookmakers by the regulators for failing to protect vulernable people. Clearly its something they've had to take very seriously now.
 
Lad I'm in a group chat had an 100k cash out last week around 70 mins but Coral wouldn't let him take it. After he clicked on it went suspended and never gave him another option to cash out again. I don't know if there's enough regulation within the app/cash out market.
 
Lad I'm in a group chat had an 100k cash out last week around 70 mins but Coral wouldn't let him take it. After he clicked on it went suspended and never gave him another option to cash out again. I don't know if there's enough regulation within the app/cash out market.

Thing is mate because no bookmaker has to take a bet for starters the whole cash out argument thing is miles behind.
 
Interesting last point. There's more of an acceptance of personal responsibility when it comes to alcohol and smoking. There wouldn't be an outraged Daily mail article blaming a brewer or distiller for the woes of alcoholics. And smoking is now universally accepted as a lethal habit.

I guess with drinking, for most people its a sociable, pleasurable activity. For a small minority its ruinous. I'd say likewise with betting, most people can do it in moderation and for enjoyment. For those who happen to win I'd suggest it's not the pasttime for them.
That was a decent post until you lowered yourself to my level. ;)
But I've fixed it for you.
 
Show me a bookie in the poor house and I'll faint flat on my back.
How many bookies do you know?

I've worked at racetracks all my life and many bookies have been unable to make a profit and yes, some have even gone skint.

No need to go flat on your back m8 but stick to subjects you're more knowledgeable about.
 
To say bookies have "cut the odds" on yes/no or over/under markets simply doesn't make sense. It's only the over round they can cut or increase and in an extremely competitive market that doesn't happen very often. Punters who bet in shops will get poorer odds than online, especially compared to the exchanges. And anyone who bets correct scores, scorecasts, score and win etc will have very poor value, hence the reason bookies push these bets like never before. And don't even start me on betbuilders.
 
You can if you lay bets and manipulate the odds in your favour. Lad I know does very well out of this, he’s a poster on here.


You're not a gambler then, you are playing the exchanges

Your winnings can be excellent, your losses being even worse.
 
Closed my skybet account this week, always been a bit of a gambler (without losing more than I could afford to) but slipped into playing slots and games usually with free spins etc. Without even realising, spent a lot more than I should have and lost a bit of control. It’s a dangerous game and can see how people get addicted.
 
You're not a gambler then, you are playing the exchanges

Your winnings can be excellent, your losses being even worse.

There aren’t any losses, he uses computer programmes that put certain bets on at different bookies when the differing odds are there to be exploited. I think it’s a case of lots of small bets making up a decent profit overall. He also uses all the free sign up offers to make guaranteed profit.
 
From this thread I think it is clear that the biggest problem with bookies is that they operate outside of free market idioms and people are clearly not at liberty to take or leave their services...
 
That’s hell of an insight

There used to be fortunes to be made in junior football betting, especially in the junior cup.
I remember once Auchinleck were 6/4 to beat a northern team, away from home. They were clearly going to win 6 or 7 nil. Then they started training their staff in knowledge of junior football and these odds disappeared.
I’m going back about 20 years mind you.
 
There used to be fortunes to be made in junior football betting, especially in the junior cup.
I remember once Auchinleck were 6/4 to beat a northern team, away from home. They were clearly going to win 6 or 7 nil. Then they started training their staff in knowledge of junior football and these odds disappeared.
I’m going back about 20 years mind you.

Can remember working for Hills in 2004 time and it was £25 max on Junior matches.
 
Shower or bastards tbh. Used to work with a guy that put four draws on for £20 every Saturday. Every Monday for donkeys I’d ask him if he had any luck and he always said no. He then gets the four up three times in a month winning around about the 10-12K mark in total and the bastards closed his account.
 
Shower or bastards tbh. Used to work with a guy that put four draws on for £20 every Saturday. Every Monday for donkeys I’d ask him if he had any luck and he always said no. He then gets the four up three times in a month winning around about the 10-12K mark in total and the bastards closed his account.

Thats just a stupid decision and a childish one like if a big firm, some would even pay him by cheque to be even more childish. He will have had no issue doing the same bet anywhere else.
 
I have sponsored the jockeys benevolent fund for years with my bets on a weekend, can't see that changing :))
 
Similar. Worked for Ladbrokes and had a few customers who regularly bet on junior football and always wanted to bet stakes higher than we’d allow.
I've no problem with that, coincidentally.
If Peter, Paul, Frank or Bob walk in to bet on Auchinleck Talbot, the bookies are within their rights to tell everyone they are 1/10 or that the max bet is £25. Fine.

If your telling Peter and Paul it's 6/4 and they can bet £4,000 on it if they wish.
Telling frank he can have £10 at 1.10 and telling Bob to %^*& off, he's won enough this week.
I find that quite poor in a regulated industry.

You've a guy above going on about 0 in the Roulette. It's a silly point.
What we are talking about is:-
It's akin to him walking into a casino and up to the Roulette machine and them taking away the table, replacing it with a table with a green zero, a green 00, a green 000, a green 0000 and a green 00000. Then telling him he's getting 1/2 on red or black because he won the night before and he's geting 20/1 on any number from 1-36 and 0-00000.
 
I've no problem with that, coincidentally.
If Peter, Paul, Frank or Bob walk in to bet on Auchinleck Talbot, the bookies are within their rights to tell everyone they are 1/10 or that the max bet is £25. Fine.

If your telling Peter and Paul it's 6/4 and they can bet £4,000 on it if they wish.
Telling frank he can have £10 at 1.10 and telling Bob to %^*& off, he's won enough this week.
I find that quite poor in a regulated industry.

You've a guy above going on about 0 in the Roulette. It's a silly point.
What we are talking about is:-
It's akin to him walking into a casino and up to the Roulette machine and them taking away the table, replacing it with a table with a green zero, a green 00, a green 000, a green 0000 and a green 00000. Then telling him he's getting 1/2 on red or black because he won the night before and he's geting 20/1 on any number from 1-36 and 0-00000.

I know where you are coming from in that each bet should be treated on its merits but with such a huge customer base at some firms, the industry becoming so automated and overall the standard of “traders” dropping heavily unfortunately that is how it is now. I can get accounts closed after one bet to take out £100 now, using info from the clever money we get. Don’t really bother now as it’s just hard work getting to use people’s accounts etc....and they don’t always win either. I actually find betting in the shops easier now on outright markets on decent events when I know I’ll have no issues getting a bet on that will take out £500 - £1000.
 
I've no problem with that, coincidentally.
If Peter, Paul, Frank or Bob walk in to bet on Auchinleck Talbot, the bookies are within their rights to tell everyone they are 1/10 or that the max bet is £25. Fine.

If your telling Peter and Paul it's 6/4 and they can bet £4,000 on it if they wish.
Telling frank he can have £10 at 1.10 and telling Bob to %^*& off, he's won enough this week.
I find that quite poor in a regulated industry.

You've a guy above going on about 0 in the Roulette. It's a silly point.
What we are talking about is:-
It's akin to him walking into a casino and up to the Roulette machine and them taking away the table, replacing it with a table with a green zero, a green 00, a green 000, a green 0000 and a green 00000. Then telling him he's getting 1/2 on red or black because he won the night before and he's geting 20/1 on any number from 1-36 and 0-00000.


What about walking into a wholesaler or supplier and being charged 10% more than the guy who just walked out? Or being forced to buy more than you need to get half of that difference back?

It is a completely free market and they are completely free to offer whatever service they like to any individual at any price or mark-up. That individual has the free will to accept it or move on. It is not fleecing anyone at all, it is telling people what they are prepared to offer and leaving that decision with the punter. If he does not like the odds, or the limit placed on him, he is perfectly within his rights to reject it.

bookies are a business and they will do what they deem necessary to preserve their profits. If people do not like it, they do not have to use it and it is obviously not a staple requirement of life.
 
Had my Willie Hill account restricted to the point where the website is unusable for me now. Took about 3 hours to withdraw my last £20 from it the other week, and now it just constantly logs me out & fails to load the page etc whenever I try to place a bet.

The baffling thing is I've barely even had any decent wins on it. Think I won one £80 bet a month ago and they decided to block me. Just plain embarrassing from them.
 
Had my Willie Hill account restricted to the point where the website is unusable for me now. Took about 3 hours to withdraw my last £20 from it the other week, and now it just constantly logs me out & fails to load the page etc whenever I try to place a bet.

The baffling thing is I've barely even had any decent wins on it. Think I won one £80 bet a month ago and they decided to block me. Just plain embarrassing from them.
If they had blocked you, how would you have gotten in at all? A wee window where the software just decided to let you get your cash?
 
This thread has been a great read... what does manipulating odds entail?

I've always loved a punt but keep it to a tenner max now and 25 weekly deposit with a backup 20 available, and now I stake less, this season has been one of my best I can remember. Mostly because I've switched to betting on 4-10/1 odds only and just picking a handful of favourites. Also using different kick off times and being patient has helped, I had a weekend I landed about 400 off 4 different bets thanks to odds on Barca away at Getafe.

That all said, nothing beats landing a Saturday 3pm UK acca.
 
If they had blocked you, how would you have gotten in at all? A wee window where the software just decided to let you get your cash?

I had to sit there all night constantly refreshing the page & clearing cookies then trying again. Would constantly log me out, fail to load and just keep glitching in some way. Managed to get lucky eventually and find one window where I was able to withdraw the cash, but haven't been able to use the website since.

The thing is, if I clear all browsing data & cookies from my device and go to their website without logging in it works fine, so it's clear they've put some kind of restriction on my account - for what reason I have no idea.
 
I had to sit there all night constantly refreshing the page & clearing cookies then trying again. Would constantly log me out, fail to load and just keep glitching in some way. Managed to get lucky eventually and find one window where I was able to withdraw the cash, but haven't been able to use the website since.

The thing is, if I clear all browsing data & cookies from my device and go to their website without logging in it works fine, so it's clear they've put some kind of restriction on my account - for what reason I have no idea.


Not have just rang them, withdrawn and jacked the account?
 
I had to sit there all night constantly refreshing the page & clearing cookies then trying again. Would constantly log me out, fail to load and just keep glitching in some way. Managed to get lucky eventually and find one window where I was able to withdraw the cash, but haven't been able to use the website since.

The thing is, if I clear all browsing data & cookies from my device and go to their website without logging in it works fine, so it's clear they've put some kind of restriction on my account - for what reason I have no idea.
or instead of a multi-national company putting in fairly complicated software that is unreliable and does not achieve the intended purpose in order to fuck a punter over because he won £80 you have an IT issue that might be easily remedied with a quick 10 minutes on live chat? Have you tried that?
 
Not have just rang them, withdrawn and jacked the account?

Probably would have did this if I didn't eventually get to withdraw, but yeah don't even bother with that account anymore. Mostly been using ladbrokes & bet365 since it happened.
 
This thread has been a great read... what does manipulating odds entail?

I've always loved a punt but keep it to a tenner max now and 25 weekly deposit with a backup 20 available, and now I stake less, this season has been one of my best I can remember. Mostly because I've switched to betting on 4-10/1 odds only and just picking a handful of favourites. Also using different kick off times and being patient has helped, I had a weekend I landed about 400 off 4 different bets thanks to odds on Barca away at Getafe.

That all said, nothing beats landing a Saturday 3pm UK acca.

Think he just meant arbing (matched betting) by that about manipulating the odds. Not having say 50k at 6/4 on a tennis player on a low ranking match so the price would crash and then be able to have enough on the other player at odds against so a no lose situation was in place. Hence why two horse races in Horse Racing are SP only.
 
or instead of a multi-national company putting in fairly complicated software that is unreliable and does not achieve the intended purpose in order to fuck a punter over because he won £80 you have an IT issue that might be easily remedied with a quick 10 minutes on live chat? Have you tried that?

Look mate you could be right, but I'm not sure what the IT issue could be, as this only happens when I log into the account. I think you need to log in to use their live chat anyway, so I don't think it would get me anywhere.

Also I've tried different browsers and it's the same issues that only start happening whenever I log in. Without logging in the page runs smoothly as normal. I even tried looking up their troubleshooting pages and couldn't find anything to help solve my issues.

Just don't even think it's worth the hassle anymore as there's plenty of other websites I can use anyway. The issue isn't being caused by me that's all I know.
 
Look mate you could be right, but I'm not sure what the IT issue could be, as this only happens when I log into the account. I think you need to log in to use their live chat anyway, so I don't think it would get me anywhere.

Also I've tried different browsers and it's the same issues that only start happening whenever I log in. Without logging in the page runs smoothly as normal. I even tried looking up their troubleshooting pages and couldn't find anything to help solve my issues.

Just don't even think it's worth the hassle anymore as there's plenty of other websites I can use anyway. The issue isn't being caused by me that's all I know.


The point I was making that is that is extremely unlikely that a guy betting that kind of stake and making that kind of return is going to be a victim of basically a piece of espionage, especially when they can simply boot you for no reason given, and legitimately.

There is nothing wrong in telling your story, but it is absolutely not something that points towards a bookie fleecing someone.
 
The point I was making that is that is extremely unlikely that a guy betting that kind of stake and making that kind of return is going to be a victim of basically a piece of espionage, especially when they can simply boot you for no reason given, and legitimately.

There is nothing wrong in telling your story, but it is absolutely not something that points towards a bookie fleecing someone.

Bit different to the opening part where the account had been restricted!
 
What about walking into a wholesaler or supplier and being charged 10% more than the guy who just walked out? Or being forced to buy more than you need to get half of that difference back?

It is a completely free market and they are completely free to offer whatever service they like to any individual at any price or mark-up. That individual has the free will to accept it or move on. It is not fleecing anyone at all, it is telling people what they are prepared to offer and leaving that decision with the punter. If he does not like the odds, or the limit placed on him, he is perfectly within his rights to reject it.

bookies are a business and they will do what they deem necessary to preserve their profits. If people do not like it, they do not have to use it and it is obviously not a staple requirement of life.

I disagree, if you spend a week sending KYC docs back and forward you'd be within your right to expect the same service as the guy standing next to you, or the service you see advertised. It's a regulated market, if it was a free market, I'd be offering odds to you all tomorrow. I can't.

Same with the casino analogy, if it's the only one locally or you've done an hours drive, you'd be pretty pissed off if you got half the payout to the guy next to you.

What about a cash table at poker? If you sit down and always won, what if they rake max £10 per hand on the table for the other 8 players, but demand 50% rake on every hand you win. Free market after all?

You wouldn't accept it, and nor should you.

Or we could go back to pubs, what if they just started charging tourists an extra £1 a pint and advertised it as such in the door? Or charged you more the drunker you got?
Just a business right? Charge and do what they like? Free market still?
 
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The point I was making that is that is extremely unlikely that a guy betting that kind of stake and making that kind of return is going to be a victim of basically a piece of espionage, especially when they can simply boot you for no reason given, and legitimately.

There is nothing wrong in telling your story, but it is absolutely not something that points towards a bookie fleecing someone.

I don't know, but before my account became severely restricted, for about 20 bets in a row, EVERY bet came back with a change of odds message, always a point or 2 lower. And I'm talking the biggest of them all. You'd be surprised, and it shouldn't be possible with a regulated product.
 
I don't know, but before my account became severely restricted, for about 20 bets in a row, EVERY bet came back with a change of odds message, always a point or 2 lower. And I'm talking the biggest of them all. You'd be surprised, and it shouldn't be possible with a regulated product.

he’s not replying to you there pal
 
I disagree, if you spend a week sending KYC docs back and forward you'd be within your right to expect the same service as the guy standing next to you, or the service you see advertised. It's a regulated market, if it was a free market, I'd be offering odds to you all tomorrow. I can't.

Same with the casino analogy, if it's the only one locally or you've done an hours drive, you'd be pretty pissed off if you got half the payout to the guy next to you.

What about a cash table at poker? If you sit down and always won, what if they rake max £10 per hand on the table for the other 8 players, but demand 50% rake on every hand you win. Free market after all?

You wouldn't accept it, and nor should you.
So it is because it is regulated?

You accept it every single day of your life. In every single transaction you make, you are treated differently to someone else.

Pharma is far more heavily regulated. private manufacturers can charge their distributers whatever they like. Regulations are there to prevent misuse, not dictate who, what and how much the market is, is and is worth.

On the casino analogy, I would know the payouts before I played or I would find them out after (in order to be pissed off). I either would not play, or would not play again, whichever came up first. If I did not know the payouts before-hand, there is a very strong argument that I deserve to be paid less for not thinking things through properly.


You absolutely 100% cannot have regulations given to free enterprises in non life sustaining fields which dictate how they need to treat customers beyond standard legal requirements. No reasonably sized business treats everyone the same across the board and they could not if they wanted to survive.
 
I don't know, but before my account became severely restricted, for about 20 bets in a row, EVERY bet came back with a change of odds message, always a point or 2 lower. And I'm talking the biggest of them all. You'd be surprised, and it shouldn't be possible with a regulated product.
You are hanging your hat on the word 'regulated' as if there were any form of commerce that was not regulated :D

Regulated simply means that in order to hold a license to book-make, you need to do certain things. Most of those things are to do with money laundering and, latterly, responsible gambling. I would hazard a strong guess at none of them being about how to set odds and how regular the limits must be from punter to punter.


It is turning into a long winded debate but no bookie has ever fleeced someone by offering them odds at a certain stake and that person accepting it. It is not fleecing if it is a contract that both parties enter into fully aware of the terms, agreeing on the terms, and handing over the cash to have a potential return of X. the bookie is not coercing you, you do not need to do it to survive and you are 100% at liberty to tell him to bolt and look elsewhere. What someone else gets is 100% irrelevant to what you get.
 
So it is because it is regulated?

You accept it every single day of your life. In every single transaction you make, you are treated differently to someone else.

Pharma is far more heavily regulated. private manufacturers can charge their distributers whatever they like. Regulations are there to prevent misuse, not dictate who, what and how much the market is, is and is worth.

On the casino analogy, I would know the payouts before I played or I would find them out after (in order to be pissed off). I either would not play, or would not play again, whichever came up first. If I did not know the payouts before-hand, there is a very strong argument that I deserve to be paid less for not thinking things through properly.


You absolutely 100% cannot have regulations given to free enterprises in non life sustaining fields which dictate how they need to treat customers beyond standard legal requirements. No reasonably sized business treats everyone the same across the board and they could not if they wanted to survive.
So that's it then?
If you beat the local croupiers boyfirend onto the bubble 2 weeks in a row and she just decides you're not getting paid out, or coming back then you'd just accept it? You'd think it fair as their right?
Sure, I accept their choice, I've very little choice.
But I can bitch on about it and hope more people wisen up and switch off from using the conning bastards.
 
'Or we could go back to pubs, what if they just started charging tourists an extra £1 a pint and advertised it as such in the door? Or charged you more the drunker you got?
Just a business right? Charge and do what they like? Free market still?'

This was added so I will put a quick note on it here.


How much does a pint cost you?

How much does it cost me in Yorkshire?

How much does it cost in London?


How can you countenance the difference if everyone using a 'regulated' service must be treated exactly the same?
 
You are hanging your hat on the word 'regulated' as if there were any form of commerce that was not regulated :D

Regulated simply means that in order to hold a license to book-make, you need to do certain things. Most of those things are to do with money laundering and, latterly, responsible gambling. I would hazard a strong guess at none of them being about how to set odds and how regular the limits must be from punter to punter.


It is turning into a long winded debate but no bookie has ever fleeced someone by offering them odds at a certain stake and that person accepting it. It is not fleecing if it is a contract that both parties enter into fully aware of the terms, agreeing on the terms, and handing over the cash to have a potential return of X. the bookie is not coercing you, you do not need to do it to survive and you are 100% at liberty to tell him to bolt and look elsewhere. What someone else gets is 100% irrelevant to what you get.
Fair enough.
I'd hazard a guess very few barmen have opened a drunk guys mouth, held him down and poured a pint down his neck. It doesn't mean they can serve someone to the point they crawl up to the bar?
 
So that's it then?
If you beat the local croupiers boyfirend onto the bubble 2 weeks in a row and she just decides you're not getting paid out, or coming back then you'd just accept it? You'd think it fair as their right?
Sure, I accept their choice, I've very little choice.
But I can bitch on about it and hope more people wisen up and switch off from using the conning bastards.

If I knew I was not going to get paid out then, yeah, absolutely my fault for entering a tournament I knew that I was not going to get paid on if I won. If I was told I WOULD be paid out, then that is clearly different!

If you know the odds, know the limit and decide to accept them, you are not being fleeced, you are accepting the offer made to you. If the offer was a 10-1 shot and they paid out 5-1, that would be you getting fleeced. What the bloke next to you got, and the amount he was allowed to bet, is 100% nothing to do with your transaction, just like Tesco paying 10p per pint for milk to a farmer, but that farmer charging me 50p direct. He is selling the same product to 2 different people for 2 different prices in order to maximise his profits. More power to him.
 
'Or we could go back to pubs, what if they just started charging tourists an extra £1 a pint and advertised it as such in the door? Or charged you more the drunker you got?
Just a business right? Charge and do what they like? Free market still?'

This was added so I will put a quick note on it here.


How much does a pint cost you?

How much does it cost me in Yorkshire?

How much does it cost in London?


How can you countenance the difference if everyone using a 'regulated' service must be treated exactly the same?
Give me the variable if me and Gary the Gambler want to put an online bet of £500 on a 4/1 shot in the UK?
And they accept Gary's bet because he's a losing gambler with a problem and reject mine because I win?
I've not once said shops shouldn't have worse odds due to costs?
Or different bookies can't price differently.

I simply can't buy into your argument here at all.

Oh, and when I signed up at the bookies it was on stories of best odds guaranteed, betting limits and so on. So to waste time with KYC only for it to be rendered a useless waste of time after a month or 2 is upsetting.
The same as your poker tournament, that won't have the prize confirmed until the buy in and rebuy period ends?
 
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