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Hope this is in the correct forum.
I realise a greater number of people are now placing bets online, but would be interested to hear from those who still frequent their high street bookies.
I’ve been going in for ten years and the difference is amazing. The difference is even greater for my father’s generation. He tells me stories about listening to the commentary in the shop, but between races you wouldn’t hear a peep.Nowadays there’s virtual, greyhounds, lottery, football and other sports promotions, and the in-house broadcast sounds like a radio programme – they don’t stop for a second.
Now a couple of major problems here :The virtual racing commentary – i detest it. I think it should be illegal to commentate on this like it was a real race. " What a ride ! " " The horse never came off the bridle ", " this horse is a favourite of mine ". It’s wrong – these aren’t comments made in jest – and i think they’re trying to deceive punters.
The presenters – they should be focusing on the races : informing the public of jockey changes, going changes, the various stages prior to the off ( going down, at the post, going behind etc ) but quite often they are too busy with the other events or prattling on with their own opinions on the horses. I’ve heard them discuss a jockeys chances on a horse when he’s not even at the course and the board states there has been a jockey change. Also a race can go off without a mention of the horses even going behind or being at the post.
I used to enjoy the banter with other punters, but no one can hear themselves think these days.
And its these reasons i went online, it frustrates me to the core when the "radio show" give punters tips… why would ladbrokes want to give you a winner, when they say "at 6/1 hes my bet for this race, he will go well" they actually mean "at 6/1 im going to lay the Bol****s off him because he has about as much chance a snowball in hell"
You get 1 racing post to share if your lucky, (and in newmarket somebody has normally stolen it)
Dont get me started on virtuals, if youur going to bet on a virtual race you deserve everything you get! Racing is unpredictable as it is… if it was my bookies and someone had £100,000 on "number 6" i would sure as hell make that miss the break!
one thing that really annoys me, seriously annoys me, its only petty but its punters who throw their betting slips on the floor if they get beat, Firstly if you cant hack losing, dont bet, and secondly i have worked in a supermarket before when i left school, and saw people just throwing rubbish that I!! had to pick up, and if i worked in these bookies they would be picking it back or, or leaving quickly either via the door or the window.. no respect.
although you can still get a few nice touches in there, when i see people going in there with full blue "godolphin" work gear on, putting their whole weeks wages on a godolphin maiden horse first time out (mosty likely before they have even payed their rent) its time to GET ON at 6/1!
Bookies just take take take and at the end of the day, betting online is so competitive you get better offers, better odds, and from the convinience of your home!
I’m afraid that the high street bookmakers regard horse racing as something of a necessary evil. They would much rather take money on the roulette machines, numbers, other sports where the profit margin is greater and there is no levy. The bet capture systems have made the shops less sociable and the inevitable process of time has seen many of the real characters, who fought for their country and lived through genuine hardship, move on to a better place. Its over 20 years since the Magic sign trained their managers to settle using a calculator and the understanding of betting among shop staff is based on the individual’s interest. I’m sure the bosses would rather employ people with no interest in betting so as to lessen the temptation to staff.
It has been nearly 10 years since I stopped working in the betting shop but for staff and customers alike, I cannot see much improvement in their conditions.Eclipse , quality as always , but there are still profit opportunities to be availed, using them bad bookies , if you are selective , for the daily habitues, its the same struggle as always , except nowadays they crowd around the roulette machines
In Luton town centre and environs, we now have 9 betting shops, all semi deserted, except for the roulette machine users , racing is no longer even a side show , most of their punters would not be bothered to even look at a horse race
Many moons ago Paul Haigh (Zorro ) predicted there would be a parting of the ways in british betting habits, that betting shops would evolve to mini casinos, me thinks that time has well and truly arrived ,,,How right you were Paul
Happy Christmas
Ricky
Thanks for the replies, everyone.
Have to agree with the litter louts
I don’t bet on the virtual or irish lottery, but it’s continually shouted at me when i want to be told about jockey changes and how far from the off the race is. I usually read the RP, check stats and video form online, and then sometimes bet online but also in the bookies – i like the cash and the banter ( what’s left of it ).
Seems to me that the bookies attitude towards horse racing in their shops is reflected on the course in their prices, levy and prize money. They’d rather have some goober waster their wages on the Roulette. Which claims to be random.
Random ?
Hahahahahaha
How do they get away with that ?
I would tend to think that the seed for the random number generator used in the roulette machines could produce a greater "randomness" than an actual roulette wheel. Mind if the roulette games have a guaranteed minimum payout percentage different to 97.3% (1 zero) then they must be fixed somehow.
I would tend to think that the seed for the random number generator used in the roulette machines could produce a greater "randomness" than an actual roulette wheel. Mind if the roulette games have a guaranteed minimum payout percentage different to 97.3% (1 zero) then they must be fixed somehow.
Of course they are fixed, and the payout is nowhere near 97%
Who moderates them ?
I’m sure that there are provisions under the gaming act for minimum percentages. It has made me curious to find out now but I think you would be surprised. The odds in roulette are quite well documented so I’m not sure how they could fiddle with those percentages and be legal.
You have to remember the FOBT offer more than one game so the payouts may vary from game to game.
The old AWP (Fruit Machines) in betting shops operated at around an 82% payout in betting shops compared to around 78% in pubs. Club machines were usually 76% or lower.
When I find out I will post back.I’m sure that there are provisions under the gaming act for minimum percentages. It has made me curious to find out now but I think you would be surprised. The odds in roulette are quite well documented so I’m not sure how they could fiddle with those percentages and be legal.
You have to remember the FOBT offer more than one game so the payouts may vary from game to game.
The old AWP (Fruit Machines) in betting shops operated at around an 82% payout in betting shops compared to around 78% in pubs. Club machines were usually 76% or lower.
When I find out I will post back.I realise they will claim it’s a certain % but i suspect it’s not adhered to
And as for random number generators – that’s a discussion which could last through til next Christmas.I remember when OFCOM were receiving complaints about all those cash prize shows on tv and the Sky channels. Initially they dismissed the complaints and claimed there was nothing untoward. It’s obvious to me that they weren’t regulated, moderated.
Soon after the proverbial hits the fan and the networks are being fined.
Trouble is, the producers of those programmes had already made their millions.The AWP % payout is a fact, from the days when I used to do the weekly figures myself. In an audit any shop in one of the large chains could be scrutinized and if there were discrepancies the Customs and Revenue would not hesitate in suspending the licence and stopping the shop in question trading.
The FOBT is something introduced after my time. Whether there are different % payouts for the different games I do not know, however I intend to find out!The thing is that it clearly states on the machine; if you play it long enough you are guaranteed to lose. It doesn’t stop people playing them.
Observations in a betting shop
Rolling on, day by day
some reason to live for
Shuffle in, one by one
some fortune to die for,
Passing through, not so young
some changing but nay more
Looking on, as I do
some virtue there I saw,Friends departed, others unknown
fading sweetly
Once reminded, images shown
prompting neatly,
Tales invented, mild and wicked
laughter raising
Thoughts related, calm but ranted
wisdom praising,Sadly missed, all listed
names only cast in stone
Death hath kissed, eyes misted
or judges to atone,
So remained, but the few
now lonely stand alone
Pre-ordained, solemn too
comes Hades trumpet blown,Twisted and old, fingers slipping
fumbling for change
Frosted and cold, noses dripping
as thoughts arrange,
Tattered and torn, a grave to tend
much loved though gone
Fretted and worn, unions to mend
and join erelong.a grave to tend
They still
tend
to house smokers
but without tobacco the arm movementstend
to be accelerated so it can
be dangerous going to the paperless loo.I see , as many know Gamble has been the best poster on any forum for eens ….different gravy , however in a short space of time , this young Eclipse has impressed beyond all beyond …..
Keep it up young girl
Ricky
The AWP % payout is a fact, from the days when I used to do the weekly figures myself. In an audit any shop in one of the large chains could be scrutinized and if there were discrepancies the Customs and Revenue would not hesitate in suspending the licence and stopping the shop in question trading.
The FOBT is something introduced after my time. Whether there are different % payouts for the different games I do not know, however I intend to find out!The thing is that it clearly states on the machine; if you play it long enough you are guaranteed to lose. It doesn’t stop people playing them.
No disrespect to yourself, but we’ve had the telephone scandals with quizzes and tv competitions, phone hacking and other governmental and police scandals – trusting the bookmakers on face value is not something i’m prepared to do.
Did you work for one of the bookmakers or an independent company ?I used to work for the Magic Sign some 10 years ago having done over 10 years service, so perhaps things have changed. Your scepticism overlooks the fact that the bookmakers do not need to stack the odds anymore in their favour than the stated percentages on the machines. The majority of betting shop regulars literally fall over themselves in the rush to lose their money.
There is an old adage;
How do you walk out of a bookies with a small fortune?
Walk in there with a large one.
FOBT pay out rate is set at between 97% and 98% in most cases. That’s why people play them so much – the perception of value is high because of the number of times money is returned.
But as with AWPs, most people ‘play to extinction’, eventually losing their original stake.
I never understand people criticising bookmakers. They are businessmen working to very tight margins and high costs. What would critics do in such a business, not try to maximise profit?
Some say ‘there are no bookmakers any more because no one will lay a bet’. What they mean is there are no gamblers posing as bookmakers. A bookmaker’s job is to balance the books as often as possible.
Would you do any different were you in the same business?
Never argue with a fool. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience, then onlookers might not be able to tell the difference. https://lazybet.com/
I share all the views about how the bookies has changed in recent years. I marked the board as a student for Mecca Bookmakers in the early 80s as a summer job and they were very different places back then.
Nowadays, I’m a rare visitor – I enjoy evening racing at a couple of shops up in the City during the summer but my local shops are dominated by the crowd around the FOBTs and the groups of Tamil or Polish or Russian men who seem to spend much of their days there.
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