Where are the professional gamblers?

[kasparov]

I attended a weekday race meeting at Ripon the other day. I was very impressed with the facilities and the helpful staff. Despite it being a very routine card, a number of top jockeys showed up, such as Hayley Turner, SDS and Tom Queally.

There were a modest number of bookmakers in the ring. As I expected, they weren’t offering odds very competitive with the exchanges and only two offered 1/4 odds e/w on an 18 runner handicap. It didn’t look like they were doing a lot of business either.

The thing that surprised me was that I couldn’t see anybody betting on a mobile device. I had assumed professional or indeed amateur punters would be openly betting on their mobiles or ipads after inspecting horses in the parade ring. Maybe the pros bet from home while watching on TV but I would have thought it hard to gain an edge that way. Or maybe they are very secretive, although I don’t see why they would need to be, as long as nobody was looking over their shoulder.

So I am a bit puzzled. My guess is that it’s simply not economic for the pros to trek up to Ripon and try and work out the outcome of some low class handicaps. And amateur punters betting £5 a race probably can’t be bothered saving 50p by getting better prices.

[Bachelors Hall]

Using one’s mobile device to place bets on a racecourse is "strictly prohibited" although I have seen this done on numerous occasions which leads me to think that’s it’s practically impossible to enforce this code.

I would imagine that if a person actually gambles for a living then as with any profession, there are overheads and bread and butter meetings would probably count as unnecessary luxuries. Furthermore, since the advent of the exchanges, it’s much easier to place a sizeable bet without the need for a rails bookie than it was twelve or so years ago. Plus, racecourses used to draw the big punters in by offering tax free betting which is no longer relevant to the issue.

[Glenn]

They are in Box 11.

[Gingertipster]

Betting on course is no longer the best place for Pro gamblers. Bookmakers have early prices on many more races these days and work to a very reasonable over-round. Those that can still get bets on in the morning with bookmakers can take those prices with "best odds guaranteed".

In the eighties on-course bookmakers opened with a bigger over-round and gradually lengthened prices; so the 5 minutes before the off was a good time to bet. These days it seems the opposite is true. Therefore, paddock judges are trying to bet when over-rounds are at their worst. Doesn’t seem to be any proper on-course "book makers" left. They’re just traders, taking bets and then laying them off at better odds on exchanges.

Then there’s cost of fuel/overheads.

In the 10 minutes before the race (where on-course punters used to have the edge) Exchanges offer better odds and liquidity is generally good, even in lesser races. With two dedicated racing channels, off course punters often get more (or at least the same) information as those on-course.

Many pro gamblers couldn’t "get on" with off-course bookmakers, so racecourses was the only place to have a bet. Exchanges have been a saviour.

Sadly Kasparov, there is no longer any need to go racing to get the best prices.

Value Is Everything

[The Ante-Post King]

Many pro gamblers couldn’t "get on" with off-course bookmakers, so racecourses was the only place to have a bet. Exchanges have been a saviour.

Sadly Kasparov, there is no longer any need to go racing to get the best prices.

Absolutely Ginge,how things have changed for the better,20yrs ago you could get an Ante-Post wager on just like you can now.I remember many times ‘sweating’ over counting the months down to your selection getting to a race in one piece,watching its odds tumble every time it runs,you could be on a horse at 40/1 that starts at 2/1,it might even trade at 1/10 in running and still get beat,at least nowadays you could lay your bet off before its even run for a profit,No like you say the exchanges are a Saviour!
Best thing to ever happen for the Punter No question!

[carvillshill]

They’re in the pub…
http://www.afr.com/p/national/no_humbli … FfUmE87CeO

[Lewey]

On my last trip to Fontwell at least two of the Private Boxs where full of In-Running punters. Whether you call these professional punters is another matter, and for those bet in running from home using ATR/RUK stop feeding these sharks.

[Author]

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