Perhaps it is the close proximity of Christmas and all the good food and festive cheer the next couple of weeks bring that has invoked feelings of happiness and optimism.  Or maybe my upbeat mood is the direct consequence of reading an editorial piece written by Bruce Millington in the Racing Post last week.  Thinking about it, I believe it’s more the latter!

At last, the racing industry’s trade publication has approached head on the issue of betting restrictions and account closures imposed by our leading online bookmakers, the trigger for which seems to be pulled with uncommon speed and alacrity (dictionary definition: “brisk and cheerful readiness”!) nowadays.

Historically the newspaper, so reliant on bookmaker advertising for revenue, has been notably reticent in adopting an accusatory tone towards their “paymasters”, but is the worm now turning?  Millington has finally accepted that the current situation regarding account restrictions is far from ideal: “the situation with bookmakers refusing bets has reached a point where action is needed, and hopefully 2018 will be the year when something happens to resolve an issue that even some betting industry figures say has got out of hand.”

Hear, hear!

What I found particularly interesting was Millington’s proposal that UK bookmakers ought perhaps be made to stand a bet to a guaranteed minimum liability, a path trodden already in some Australian States.  He alludes to the fact that Coral, a firm which for a certain class of race (or higher) will lay a bet to win at at least £500 for any wager struck in one of it’s shops.  As Millington points out, introducing such a guarantee has hardly taken the company to the brink of bankruptcy, not according to their financial statements anyway.

The issue of course is that introducing such rules on the bookmaking fraternity would likely need direct and interventional action from the Gambling Commission.  I must admit my own feelings towards the GC have been those of indifference.  Until now, I’ve not seen anything from them that shows they have teeth.  Millington however, who I’m certain knows a lot more about the Commission than I do, believes that they are evolving into a beast to be reckoned with: “The Gambling Commission is no longer the inert organisation it was in its infancy. It is now active – bordering on aggressive.”

So perhaps 2018 will be a tumultuous year for us punters with bookmakers being forced to lay a decent bet at last.  My own thought-process tells me that if they are, then we as punters could wave goodbye pretty quickly to BOG concessions, extra each way places and various other bonuses that those fortunate enough to have viable accounts enjoy at present.  To my mind, this would be a fair swap.  Here’s hoping.

Betting for December

A much better week for the portfolio with most services generating a profit, some of them significantly so.

Jason James put a recent dry spell behind him with a couple of excellent days.  A 9/1 winner on Wednesday and another at the same price on Sunday meant it was a fine week for JJ.

Other than that it was the two footie services that really came good.  The considerable success of AH Edge was down to an admirable consistency throughout the week, whilst Football Service 1 came up with a couple of big priced winners in the Premier League at the weekend.

The only service to hit a bum note was Racing Service A, but only a matter of time before dropped points are regained with ample compensation.

Figures for the month to date:

ROI: 8.39%.  ROC: 2.44%.

AH Edge: Staked 41pts, +7.17pts.

Chasemaster: Staked 9.5pts, +5.05pts.

Football Service 1: Staked 21pts, +6.47pts.

Jason James: Staked 54.5pts, +9.25pts.

MVS (Lite): Staked 33pts, -0.37pts.

Northern Monkey: Staked 37.625pts, +9.66pts.

Pilelist Racing: Staked 15pts, -7.47pts.

Racing Service A: Staked 17.75pts, -8.75pts.

Racing Service B: Staked 30.25pts, +2.25pts.

As I sit here at my desk writing this post, the rain is absolutely hammering it down outside.  It’s miserable, but at least it’s getting rid of the slush and ice that preceded it.

I bloomin’ hate winter weather.  I hate it more when I know that there’s a great big hairy mutt, currently dozing by the radiator, who is very shortly going to need walking!

The Changing Tipster Landscape

When I recently discovered that the polls were open to SBC members to vote for their best and worst of within the betting world, it caused me to think a little about how good we punters have it these days.  Sure, the bookmakers don’t make things easy, but if it’s one thing I’ve learnt this year it is that with a bit of thought and pre-planning it is possible to maintain accounts for a decent period and retain access to Best Odds Guaranteed.  So even with this (surmountable) obstacle in our way, I’m telling you we’ve never had it so good.

Casting my mind back just a few short years, finding and then following an honourable and profitable tipster was nigh on impossible.  If you did manage to find one, you could count your blessings.

Seriously, the number of tipsters I tried and got ripped off by wasn’t funny!  I was naive, ringing 0898 ‘phone lines (not that type – the betting lines, I mean), paying some ridiculous rate per minute for the call only to listen to some dodgy geezer wittering on and on to make the message as long (and therefore as profitable for him) as possible before concluding with some drivel about how the 1/3 on shot in the 2.40 couldn’t be beaten.  Connections were going in BIG, don’t you know!  Yeah, right. That’s shrewd.

Or there were the guys who stuck small ads in the Racing Post and got you to stick 20 quid on for them and send on the winnings.  All very well and good, but obviously most would give out every horse in the race to the different mugs that would call so that they were guaranteed some form of payment.  It wasn’t until both I and my mate rang the same number by mistake one day and were given different horses in the same race that we twigged it.

So when I first heard of the SBC, I presumed it was a scam and it took me about a year before I actually signed up.

But look at things now.  There are so many tipping services out there now that not only have proved themselves to be profitable, but which are also run on an extremely professional basis.  If a tipster can’t produce a clear, concise and verified record of their bets, they don’t get very far.  If they treat their customers with anything other than courtesy and helpfulness, they don’t get very far.  If they quote unrealistic prices, they don’t get very far.  You get the message.

Telling the truth?

As an example of what I’m saying, read this post: How To Check if a Tipster is Telling the Truth.  Can you imagine, back in the punting dark ages (about ten years or so ago) that we’d have access to folk we can trust to do all the checking to make sure we really can make a profit by following Tipster A or B?

I’m telling you folks, the tipster landscape has changed.  We’ve entered a Golden Age.

Northern Monkey’s excellent Saturday

Overall it’s been a pretty quiet start to the month, as you will see from the figures below.  But that doesn’t mean the betting has been without it’s excitement.

Last Saturday (9th) for example, saw Northern Monkey play a blinder.  First we had Blacklion, backed antepost at 8s and again  at 7/2 win the Becher Chase at Aintree, and then we had Gas Line Boy which had also been supported antepost at 8s and again separately in a double with a 9/4 winner, dot up in the Grand Sefton.  Smashing stuff!

Betting for December

So after 10 days, the portfolio is showing an ROI of 2.51% and bank growth of just 0.44% for the month to date.

AH Edge: Staked 24pts, +1.56pts.

Chasemaster: Staked 7.5pts, +7.05pts.

Football Service 1: Staked 9pts, +1.841pts.

Jason James: Staked 36.5pts, -12.5pts.

MVS (Lite): Staked 22pts, -1.375pts.

Northern Monkey: Staked 23.875pts, +9.407pts.

Pilelist Racing: Staked 10.046pts, -8.61pts.

Racing Service A: Staked 11.75pts, -2.75pts.

Racing Service B: Staked 20.5pts, +5pts.

Well what an end to the month it has been!  The last Saturday (25th) produced one of the biggest daily profit counts I’ve ever had as MVS (Lite), Northern Monkey, and Pilelist Racing all came up trumps simultaneously.

The net result was an excellent month’s betting.  Kick started by Racing Service A’s heroic opening Saturday and rounded off by the three aforementioned services, it was very much a case of making hay when the sun hasn’t been shining (I hate these cold, wintry afternoons when it’s dark by half three).

The overall figures for the month show an ROI of 22.45% and bank growth (ROC) of 11.29%.

By far the best performer was Northern Monkey which, as mentioned, had a storming end to the season.  A 9/1 antepost winner at Haydock which was backed both as a single and doubled up with a 3/1 winner gave the coffers a significant boost. and it’s ironic for a tipster primarily known for his expertise on the flat, to produce this profit over the jumps.

That initial Saturday that saw Racing Service A stick up three winners at dirty great big odds set up the month nicely, but it’s fair to say that with just a smidgeon of luck, the already impressive bottom line figures could have looked even more spectacular.  Christmas following RSA is always good fun, and I’m looking forward to it.

It’s been a great year for Morning Value Service (Lite) and November was another profitable month.  Again, in what is something of a mini-theme emerging within this post, it was the end of the month that proved the most lucrative period and four winners out of five on that wonderful Saturday produced more than 50% of the month’s total profit.

As for Pilelist Racing, with just a week of the month to go it looked for all the world as if a loss would be recorded come close of play on the 30th.  Then a fantastic Saturday (!!) saw 9/2 and 20/1 winners and a complete turnaround.  Don’t you just love it when a plan comes together?

A nod too, in the direction of AH Edge which, despite coughing up some profit by tipping six losers from eight bets on Sunday 26th, ended the month with a very solid profit indeed.  As a relatively recent addition to the portfolio, I like what I’ve seen so far.

Of course it’s never plain sailing for all, and four of the ten services ended the month in the red, although pleasingly not one racked up what might be deemed as heavy losses.

AH Edge: Staked 52pts, +10.129pts, ROI 19.47%, ROC 16.88%.

Chasemaster: Staked 12pts, -5.1pts, ROI -42.5%, ROC -5.1%.

Football Service 1: Staked 22pts, -3.208pts, ROI -14.58%, ROC -6.41%.

Golf Insider: Staked 8,120pts, +575.8pts, ROI 7.09%, ROC 2.87%.

Jason James: Staked 109.5pts, -8.35pts, ROI -7.62%, ROC -6.41%.

MVS (Lite): Staked 57pts, +13.5pts, ROI 23.68%, ROC 15%.

Northern Monkey: Staked 65.925pts, +39.969pts, ROI 60.62%, ROC 49.96%.

Pilelist Racing: Staked 25.163pts, +8.103pts, ROI 32.2%, ROC 10.53%.

Racing Service A: Staked 34pts, +25.875pts, ROI 76.1%, ROC 38.81%.

Racing Service B: Staked 74.25pts, -10.175pts, ROI -13.7%, ROC -5.08%.