Month: March 2018

Bookie restrictions: An insider’s advice on keeping your accounts open (plus min bet law news)

Posted on by Peter Ling

I have more news and advice today on the topic of bookmaker restrictions and closures including specific advice on why the forthcoming Aintree Grand National meeting is such a good time to take action on this front.

Before that though, some interesting news came out this week on restrictions following our call to action to email the Gambling Commission about how they had impacted you. Greg Wood of the Guardian published this fascinating article on Sunday, which outlined how action might not be far away on a min bet law…

“Representatives met with senior Gambling Commission officials on Thursday to discuss the possibility of a minimum bet limit becoming a requirement of a bookmaker’s operating licence, and apparently left believing that it will, at some point, become a reality.”

I followed up on this article with Brian Chappell from Justice for Punters who attended the meeting referred to and because he and his colleagues have also met with others since. He had this to say:

“We mustn’t get carried away, because a lot of what is required for a Minimum Bet Law (MBL) is out of the control of punters, except for campaigning, so it’s really important that people contact the Gambling Commission as part of their present consultation as outlined here.

The possible options on the table are; that companies finally, due to pressure, realise they are trading unfairly meaning they enter into constructive discussion about a voluntary MBL, new primary legislation, which will be difficult to progress quickly due to the UK parliament being obsessed with Brexit, or the CMA forcing companies to be clear in their T&Cs that winning using skill is not allowed. It is, therefore crucial SBC readers continue to email the GC with details of any stupid account restrictions they incur.”

He went on to say that everyone should read the Victoria, Australia MBL rules, because this is what Justice For Punters is campaigning to be introduced and nothing less.

That’s the future, but what about avoiding restrictions right now?

Whilst the above is very encouraging news, until such a time as a minimum bet law is introduced, we must still be careful to protect our existing bookmaker accounts from future restrictions and closures.

..And with the Aintree Grand National meeting coming up – a time when thousands of new bookmaker accounts are being opened from people with no idea about betting, it’s also a fantastic chance for shrewd punters to hide in plain sight and have your accounts ‘coded’ as safe.

To explain more on this and to help you best understand how bookies track your accounts, I wanted to share an article written by a bookie insider for the Smart Betting Club on this very topic.

This insider has spent years working on both sides of the betting fence so is uniquely positioned to offer advice about how to get your bets on.

His approach is all about ensuring your account is coded as ‘safe’ in its infancy and following certain strategies to fool the bookies into thinking you don’t know what you are doing (despite the fact you do!)

Even though this article was first written in late 2016, much of the advice is still very relevant…so without further ado, here is the lowdown from our Bookie Insider…

An insider speaks – how to ‘code’ your accounts as safe

From the point of view of someone who has been on both sides of the fence over the last 15 years or so, it’s best to view the battle between shrewd punters who want to maintain winning accounts and the bookies who want to shut them down as a game of cat-and-mouse.

Bookies have moved well beyond analysing the behaviour of their customers in an attempt to restrict those who will beat them, into employing increasingly smart technology to catch those who discover loopholes and cover their tracks.

Tracking software has become ubiquitous with all major bookies – the likes of iesnare and iovation have been the subject of huge controversy as the grey area of customers’ privacy is challenged. But avoiding these legally-dubious methods is just the first step to take when engaging in the battle of smarts and wills with the online bookmaker and by which ‘unwelcome’ punters can keep under the radar of the bookies’ account-coding teams.

These teams work hand-in-hand with the liabilities department, examining each bet that meets certain criteria, such as those which are due to return more than a certain amount, those from punters who are already being monitored, or those on specific events or niche markets where the firm in question might be vulnerable to savvy customers.

One approach is to try to avoid being ‘coded’ at all – to escape the attention of the hawk-eyed account restrictors by staying under the radar with small bets in the hope of not being noticed. This is possible but it’s tougher than ever to pull off – if your betting patterns are shrewd you’re likely to get noticed at some point and then it’s back to square one.

Try and get marked up early as a ‘safe’ account

Another method, and the one we’re focused on here, is to actively try and get marked up early as a ‘safe’ account, one in which the betting patterns suggest it’s operated by a typical losing punter.

This involves pre-empting the marking of the account by making it look as though the account will be a winning one for the bookie, one likely to consistently lose money over the long-term.

These accounts will tend to have a less rigorous filter applied to them, meaning that for bets to appear on the liability team’s screens they have to be at or close to the market’s maximum stake, or that the event is being subject to particular scrutiny (in which case all bets on that event will be flagged up).

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Put yourself in the bookies shoes

To get an idea of how to go about this, try putting yourself in the bookie’s shoes – if you were charged with coding accounts as good or bad for business, what would you do?

The customers that firms like the best are those who lose consistently and reliably, whether involving big or small amounts. Punters like this who lose small (probably 95 per cent of a firm’s active clients) rarely appear on the coders’ radar as the system filters their bets out as irrelevant – they’ll generally be small non-price-sensitive stakes on big markets, or multiples thereof.

To come to a coder’s attention with a young account then it generally would require that account to feature bets on small markets or niche events with bets close to the maximum stake allowed. If you open an account and your first bet is a large one at a stand-out price on, say, a speedway event, it’ll raise a red flag.

If, on the other hand, it’s Sunderland to beat Chelsea 6-2 or a goalscorer accumulator across a few live games, your bets will either be passed over or you’ll be considered a ‘safe’ punter and put under consideration to have your staking limits increased by 20 or 50 per cent.

Consider opening your account at a busy time – like the Grand National

Therefore one approach is to open your account and making your first wagers at a busy time for the firm – the afternoon of the opening day at Aintree or Cheltenham will guarantee your first few bets will sneak through unnoticed. Together with a sign-up offer, a few doubles or trebles on horses close to best price will fit in with the profile of a typical punter, all while giving an expected return of close to 100 per cent of your outlay. The forthcoming Aintree meeting culminating with the Grand National is as good a time as ever to do this.

Bookies don’t like serial bonus (ab)users but they’re generally happy to oblige customers who they feel will be long-term losers, so free bets can generally be incorporated into the ‘churn’ of a new account, lowering the cost of getting the account into respectable shape.

After a few neutral bets on high-profile races or football games, consider a couple of spins of the roulette wheel or engage the ‘cash out’ feature. Most shrewd punters will run a mile from these gimmicks, which take margin from you at both ends of the bet, but that’s the point – these are the kind of customers they’re looking for.

Likewise, in-play football and tennis betting, where the odds are generated automatically and at high margins, are good markets to throw a bookie off the scent, as are ‘virtual’ markets, which have a casino-style house edge built in.

Unfortunately, this strategy will almost inevitably entail losing money for the first few bets but smart punters have to consider the long game – with the bigger picture in mind this should be considered a sacrifice worth taking.

Long-term value of a bookie account that goes under the radar

You might lose a few quid this way, yet have the long-term value of a bookie account that goes under the radar. That can be priceless.

Only once your account reflects the behaviour of a casual punter should you try to draw attention to it by striking bets that will get you noticed by those monitoring the bet streams. ‘Mug’ bets on any sport but particularly football accumulators or side markets at below top price should be considered alongside your ‘shrewd bets’.

If an account marker likes what he sees, he might deem your account ‘safe’, increase your staking limits and hopefully enable you to fly under the radar if you manage your account carefully. This involves generally avoiding hitting maximum stakes (75% or less of the limit is a good guide – anything higher will attract the attention of the liabilities department) and steering clear of niche sports and small, illiquid markets which could attract the attention of compilers as well as liability managers.

Remember, you’re trying to strike a balance between persuading a trained operative that you’ll be a consistent loser in future, without losing too much money while doing so. It’s not easy but it can be relatively cheap if you stick to big prices (which should in reality be far bigger) which will have lower maximum stake limits and therefore trigger the bookie’s monitoring systems without having to risk a lot of money.

If this approach is successful and your account has been deemed ‘safe’, it will be monitored more loosely, allowing bigger stakes and hopefully increasing its lifespan. Care still needs to be taken of course, but if your limits are raised and your bet doesn’t automatically pop up on a liability manager’s screen, that’s half the battle won.

4 key points to consider…

So in summary, the main advice would be:

  • Avoid drawing attention to your account in the first few days; bet like they want you to bet for your first couple of dozen or so wagers.
  • Use the firm’s gaming app a few times and cash out a few bets; play in-running sports markets and the occasional virtual race.
  • Once you’re happy your account history looks like that of a losing punter or chancer, bet to get noticed, ideally avoiding busy times so they can get a good look at your apparent ineptitude.
  • This means hitting maximum stakes on poor value bets (ideally at big prices, to limit losses), which will appear on the liability screens, meaning your account will be examined.

If the employee monitoring the liability screens likes what he sees and is in a good mood, he may loosen the restrictions on your account and help your account stay under the radar, increasing its lifespan.

Whatever you do – good luck with your betting and keeping your bookmaker accounts open as long as possible. It can be done with the right approach.

More advice at hand…

My thanks go to our ‘bookie insider’ for taking the time to pen the above article and share his insight with us all. Thousands of new punters open up accounts to bet on the Grand National (which takes place on the 14th April this year), so its a great time to consider trying to hide in plain sight.

Whilst restrictions of bookmaker accounts are a real problem, there are always things we as punters can do to circumnavigate them such as:

  • Not always taking the absolute best price on a bet
  • Never taking a price with a bookmaker which is shorter on a betting exchange (they will accuse you of arbing)
  • Being sensitive to which markets and when betting on them might flag your account (for example – taking early prices for all non-major horse racing markets is a big no-no)
  • Avoiding specific niche markets
  • Spreading your stakes and winnings around the bookmaker accounts you maintain.

There is further, detailed advice on all of the above and more in the special Restrictions & Closures only section of the SBC website (SBC membership required) for those of you keen to learn more.

Plus – Advice on the best Exchange-only Tipsters

One of the absolute best ways to avoid all issues of restrictions is to simply bet on Betting Exchanges only. There are more valid exchange options available these days with Smarkets, Betdaq & Matchbook all offering lower commission rates and challenging Betfair’s long held dominance so its a growing area. None of whom will ever restrict or close your account for being successful.

For those of you keen to find out more on the Exchange based tipsters we recommend, you can find a list of them available via the Exchange Betting members-only section of the SBC website.

Every single tipster review we publish these days explores the potential of following them via Betting Exchanges with more and more options coming out of the woodwork these days.

Some can be followed at Betfair SP, with others simply by placing your bets in live racing or sports markets and getting great value prices.

So, even if you have had your bookmaker accounts closed off, there are still several very genuine and realistic options out there for you!

You can read all of our expert content on avoiding restrictions and the best tipsters for betting exchanges with a Smart Betting Club membership.


You can also enjoy a 90 day anytime money-back-guarantee, so you can try our service out for size and if you find it not to your liking (something we feel is highly unlikely) then claim a full refund.

We know we can make a difference to your punting – so why not sign-up right away and get started immediately.

Best Regards,

Peter Ling
Smart Betting Club Editor
pete@smartbettingclub.com

Anatomy of a profitable tipster: 5 KEY pointers to find a genuine tipping expert

Posted on by Peter Ling

 

I recently released the 2nd review from SBC’s 2018 Best Tipster Guide, focusing in great detail on one of the very best tipsters my review team and I have ever had the pleasure to examine.

But exactly what is it that the SBC review team (and therefore you) should look for in a tipster?

And what qualities does a tipster have for us to enter it into our Best Tipster Guide?

To help answer these questions, today I want to explore the anatomy of a profitable tipster with 5 KEY pointers for you to consider when weighing up whether a tipping service is for you or not.

To help, I will be using this latest Best Tipster Guide expert as a reference point and tackling topics like staking plans, profit levels, exchange backing, odds availability & much more besides…

Here then is my 5 point guide to finding a genuine tipping expert...

1) Long-term, consistent & realistic profit

Just like football managers, tipsters live and die based upon the results they achieve. If they don’t make a simple profit for you (over and above the cost of joining) then there really is no point to them.

Once there is a profit to view, then its also important that it is both relatively consistently achieved and realistic. You would be amazed at how many ‘profitable tipsters’ are nothing of the sort on this front.

For example – I recently explored a tipster with on the face of it a profitable record from over 800 bets, yet by digging into their results I found this record was massively skewed by a 200/1 winner. The profits from that 1 bet aside, the service had made a combined loss from the other 799 bets!

Contrasting with this, our Best Tipster Guide (BTG) expert has a consistent, long-term record with a profit from each season active. Some seasons higher, some lower but each profitable and an average seasonal profit of around 45 points.

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This general consistency is further backed up by the profit graph below that is useful as we can see any spikes (like a 200/1 winner) that might suggest problems.

Beyond a small plateau between the 600 and 700 bet marker, its been generally smooth upward progress for our BTG expert.

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2) A staking plan that works

When a tipster has a profitable strategy, one other simple way they can maximise this is through a staking plan.

The theory here is that you should stake more when there is greater perceived value from a tip and less when the opposite applies.

Once again our BTG expert ticks these boxes and by viewing their staking plan, we can see how the greater the amount staked, the greater the ROI.

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For example, the smaller staked bets (0.25 points) return a 16.8% ROI, whereas the maximum staked bets (1.5 to 2 points) hit a 38.8% ROI.

Proof positive this expert knows where the value lies as the greater you stake, the greater your profit.

3) Odds you can actually get

In today’s modern betting world, we must also be aware of the issues we might suffer in trying to get our bets on.

Bookmakers shift prices very quickly at the smallest sign of shrewd money on a racing bet, especially those placed early away from the big race meetings.

Even if you do manage to obtain a good price for your bet, if it should win and especially if it shortens in price dramatically before the off, you run every chance of suffering a bookmaker account restriction or closure.

Which is why its important to follow a tipster that takes this into consideration. If they are putting up a 33/1 hot racing tip at 6pm the night before racing and not accounting for any price movement should the odds be slashed, its a problem.

Again though, our BTG expert leads the way here with a policy of only tipping in big races, when markets are already formed and when you are able to back them easily in shops.

He explains more on his fair policy here:

“Whenever I issue a tip now, it is my belief that it is possible for people to back it in bookmaker shops, should they choose to do so.

So, if I issue a tip the day before a race, it will be in races which are generally priced up at that time; whilst those tips issued in the morning, are only issued when shops are open and the horses can be backed within them.

I’ve actually got a few guys in the service who do exactly this (they have no online accounts) – and they achieve around 90% of the prices by backing in shops.

This also means that the prices of all the tips are relatively robust, because the markets have some maturity. Therefore, it should be possible to back the horses at (or close to) the price specified an hour or so later both with bookmakers and on exchanges.

My focus on big races, helps massively in this whole area, because they tend to be competitive fields, and therefore most of the horses get backed.”

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4) Backable on the Exchanges

Leading on from this last point – if you are restricted or shut down by the bookies, then the best route open to you is that of betting exchanges.

Smarkets, Matchbook & Betdaq are all now improving, low commission alternatives to Betfair and offer a genuine route to punters unable to bet with bookies.

Exchanges allow you to win as much as you want and won’t shut you down. They welcome your business, even if you are a winner.

Best of all, our BTG expert is one you can follow on the exchanges with only a 2.6% ROI drop (after exchange commission) from the sample of data we gathered following them with Smarkets.

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So rather than obtaining the 30.1% ROI as seen in my first point, you might instead make 2.6% less = 27.5% ROI. Still a very strong edge.

During the study, bets were generally placed between 9.30 and 10.15am, roughly 45 minutes to 1.5 hours after bet release.The sample size was decent – 508 bets and in short, the results demonstrated that backing these selections on big race days is viable on the Exchanges:

5) Affordable & easy to follow

Last but not least, there are some sensible things any good tipster will think about – namely the price and how and when they supply tips.

The price is right

The cost of any tipster should be reasonable and will allow you to make plenty of profit beyond it. The profit also should be within your reach to make a profit without staking at huge levels.

Our BTG expert charges just £250 for a full NH season and averages around 45 points profit each time out. Even a simple £50 per point strategy would see you make around 10X the cost of joining in an average season.

Time of bet supply

Its important to also have a clear understanding of how many bets are supplied by the tipster and when they are sent on.

If tips come through at random times with no warning then realistically how are you going to be setup to follow them properly? They might send them at 10pm one day and 10am the next. If you need to get on them quickly then you will often miss out on value altogether.

Again, the BTG expert ticks the boxes here as he uses three possible tipping windows: 17.00-18.00 the evening before racing, 8.30-9.30 am, and 11.00-12.00am.

You know therefore when to look out for possible bets and when exactly they might be heading your way.

Thanks For Reading..

Hopefully these 5 key points will help to guide you towards those genuinely profitable tipsters that can help you make money betting.

There are naturally more than just 5 points to consider for every tipster but the 5 above are some of the most important and where many punters are unwittingly caught out.

Reviewing and tracking tipsters is what we do best here at the Smart Betting Club – having been at the heart of the industry since 2006.

For those of you after more information on our service, you can read about our tipster review process here and crucially our 100% independent stance.

More details on the Best Tipster Guide can also be found here.

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Save £45 Right Now

By joining the Smart Betting Club today, you can also save a whopping £45 on the usual cost of a Platinum ‘Pro Punter’ membership (which provides access to the Best Tipster Guide)

This is because we have slashed the price of joining to ensure as many people as possible have access to our reports, magazines and guides.

We know we can make a difference to your punting – so why not sign-up right away and get started immediately. (There is a 90-day refund guarantee available after all)

See you on the inside.

Read more on how the Best Tipster Guide can help YOU

Best Regards,

Peter Ling

Smart Betting Club Editor

pete@smartbettingclub.com

SBC Helps Punters Sting The Bookies @ Cheltenham (4 Big Success Stories)

Posted on by Peter Ling

 

It was a Cheltenham Festival to remember for us all at the Smart Betting Club, with a whole host of winners from many of the tipsters we recommend though our reviews, reports and magazines.

It’s probably safe to say we helped sting the bookmakers for some significant sums indeed over these past 4 days, including £9k won from a free bet!

It’s little wonder the bookies dislike us so much. Below you can find just a few of the highlighted success stories and how SBC can help you with your betting.

(Plus read on for details of how you can save an extra 10% on the cost of Smart Betting Club membership in a limited-time offer)

1. SBC Analyst, Nick Wins £9000 With Sun Bets On Day 1!

SBC’s very own Nick Ward won a massive £9000 courtesy of Sun Bets on Day 1 of Cheltenham after picking 6 winners from the first 6 races as part of the Sun Bets Seven predictor game. Completely oblivious to his success until Sun Bets called him ahead of the 7th and final race, he managed to cash out to take home approx £9000 seconds before his 7th selection ran (it fell early on)

Nick was interviewed by the Sun on his success, although I got the lowdown from him earlier today on how he used SBC to help select his tips…

“I largely restrict my betting to big races, especially festivals and particularly the big handicaps. I use a combination of SBC recommended tipsters, market signals, the Racing Profit Maximiser and other information in the process of making my selections and assigning related staking.

On Tuesday, I had three good Racing Profit Maximier strategy bets (which were mentioned in The Sun article), and then took a position on the three races with strong favourites (I sided with both Footpad and Buveur D’Air, but against Apples Jade, who I thought was vulnerable and tactically would help “set me out from the crowd” in the competition). That just left the last race which, in all honesty, I hadn’t got any strong feelings on. Thank goodness, Sun Bets rang and alerted me to the option of cashing out all or part of the potential winning pot just before that one ran.“

 

2. SBC’s Rowan Has A Cheltenham To Remember. 81%, 107% & 34% ROI!

Nick wasn’t the only SBC team member that made a monster profit at Cheltenham, as Rowan, who writes the SBC Bet Diary Blog on his tipping portfolio has had a festival to remember.

…And no doubt those of you following the tipsters Rowan writes about (which is the central point of the Bet Diary) would have enjoyed similar results too.

Here are the results from his first 3 days…

On Day 1, Rowan made a 81.57% ROI. Read his day 1 post

On Day 2, Rowan made a 107.59% ROI. Read his day 2 post

On Day 3, Rowan made a 34.67% ROI. Read his day 3 post

His Day 4 post will be up Saturday morning on the Bet Diary, at which point he will also post a summary of his entire festival performance.

Whatever happens on this final day (and I believe its been another winning one), its safe to say its been one hell of a profitable Cheltenham for him. Best of all, you can easily copy Rowan’s tipster portfolio (as many do) and make it pay for you too!

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3. SBC Free Tipster Fires In The Winners (90% ROI from 27 bets)

Last week I told you all about the amazing Cheltenham tipster who in a special deal would be supplying all his advice for free to SBC members for each of the 4 days of the festival. His pedigree at Cheltenham was second to none as since 2012, he had made a 57% ROI from 179 bets.

Well the great news is that it was another very successful week and his fantastic record at Cheltenham continued apace.

Winners during the 4 days included Le Prezien (12/1), Missed Approach (10/1), Coo Star Sivola (11/2), Shattered Love (6/1) and Delta Work (11/1). There were also several placed efforts at good prices that were profitable for each way backers including Melon (18/1 advised), Vintage Clouds (9/1) & Acey Milan (7/1)

From 27 bets advised, he made a 24.5 point profit at 90.74% ROI if backing all his tips to win at 1 point level stakes

For those of you betting each-way, this worked out as a 35.05 point profit at 64.90% ROI at 1 point each way level stakes.

Here is what a couple of SBC members had to tell me about their week following his tips:

“I have made a absolute fortune from your bets this week (had your three winners today in a small trixie)“

“I have very recently joined the SBC community as I am looking for an additional income stream. I am a complete novice and although I would rate myself as fairly intelligent I was completely bamboozled by this world of sports betting (my thanks to SBC for being so patient with me and answering all my “ stupid” questions)…. Anyway it was on your suggestion that I signed up for Kieran’s free tips during Cheltenham and despite having a normal job (8-5pm) with the clear instructions placing the Cheltenham bets took less than a few mins everyday… Thank you for such a great week!”

If you are interested in this tipster – there is a special offer available to Smart Betting Club members keen to follow him in all year-round.

 

4. Hall of Fame Tipster Makes £1517 Profit From Just 31 Bets

Finally, I want to squeeze in a quick word for one of the Hall of Fame tipsters we recommend.

You can read our detailed review of this service (including who they are!) in this sample SBC magazine (download in PDF form here) and I also wrote about their fantastic start to 2018 in this January blog post.

Well their 2018 just got a whole load better – thanks to a whole series of winners at Cheltenham, including Le Prezien (16/1), Blue Berry (28/1), Summerville Boy (12/1) & Rathvinden (7/1).

At £50 stakes, they ended up £1517.50 in profit from just 31 bets over the festival itself.

Proof positive how the tipsters we recommend in our Hall of Fame can make you money betting!

More on this tipster and many more like this can be obtained with a Smart Betting Club membership.

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Save An Extra 10% On SBC Membership Before Midnight Sunday

So there we have it – a few highlights from what has been a hugely profitable Cheltenham for many SBC members.

The bookies have well and truly been taken to the cleaners this year.

Yet, whilst the famous festival is over for another year, the profitable opportunities for us don’t stop there.

For those of you keen to see how an SBC membership can help you make money betting, I have knocked a further 10% off the cost of joining.

This extra 10% is on top of the already discounted 2018 membership prices and will be available until Midnight this Sunday the 18th March.

To save 10%, simply use this coupon code ” CHELT18 ” during your subscription process and a further 10% will be deducted off the cost.

But hurry as this extra 10% offer WILL expire at Midnight on Sunday.

Click here to subscribe NOW!

Best Regards,

Peter Ling

Smart Betting Club Editor

pete@smartbettingclub.com

2 Hand-Picked Cheltenham Offers – £40 In Free Bets & Low Exchange Commission

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2 X Cheltenham Offers From Smarkets & Matchbook

Mindful of the fact you will no doubt be inundated with offers and promotions this Cheltenham Festival, I wanted to share details on just two special deals from the betting exchanges, Smarkets & Matchbook that have taken my eye.

You can enjoy £40 in risk-free bets as a new Smarkets customer OR pay just 0% commission throughout Cheltenham with Matchbook (open to both new and existing customers) in 2 special offers of real note.

SBC has featured both firms in depth over the years as they offer lower commission rates than their main rival, Betfair and are an ideal option for those of you looking to get your racing bets on without issue.

Although at this point its also worth re-iterating that both firms also offer plenty of options for punters on other sports such as Football, Tennis, Golf, NBA & more.. Don’t make the mistake of thinking they are for racing punters only!

Smarkets £40 in Risk-Free Bets During Cheltenham (New Customers Only)

First of all, Smarkets are offering new customers the chance to enjoy 4 X £10 risk-free bets on each of the four Championship races at the 2018 Cheltenham Festival.

Simply place your bet(s) on the 15:30 race each day during the Festival and any losses on the race will be refunded to your account up to a maximum of £10.

To take advantage of this offer, you must be a new customer and use the code ‘“Cheltenham2018” when prompted on sign-up. There is a minimum site deposit of £10 and net losses will be refunded up to £10 on each of the 4 races.

Click here to visit the £40 offer page to take advantage of this offer.

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Matchbook – 0% Commission Until Cheltenham Ends

Matchbook are also offering you the chance to pay 0% commission on all racing bets between now and the end of Cheltenham – an offer which is open to both new and existing customers of their exchange.

It’s actually based on an extended offer they have put forward since February 9th to herald the fact you can now bet in-running on Matchbook.

With liquidity next week at Cheltenham expected to be robust, I highly recommend you check out Matchbook if looking for an exchange option paying the lowest commission rates during the festival.

Click here to sign-up for a Matchbook account.

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These special offers aside, I do recommend both Smarkets and Matchbook, hence why I am happy to share details on them.

Both offer sustainable, lower commission and useful ways of extracting more value from your bets (be it on racing or any other sport they cover) and they are both widely used by the SBC team.

Whatever you back at Cheltenham this week, I wish you every success with your betting.

Best Regards,
Peter Ling
Smart Betting Club Editor

Look No Further Than This Cheltenham Tipster (57.6% ROI) – Free With SBC All Week

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Jockeys, pundits, bookies…you name it – everyone is an expert when it comes to picking out tips at Cheltenham, yet the only tipping voices you want to be listening to are those with proven records of making it pay at the famous festival.

Proven records like the expert tipster who throughout each day of Cheltenham will be providing his winning advice totally for free to Smart Betting Club members.

The reason I know this tipster is good is simple – because I have been proofing his tips since 2012, during which time he has built up an outstanding record and especially so at Cheltenham.

Over the course of 179 bets advised at Cheltenham over the past 6 years he has made a 103 point profit at a 57.66% Return on Investment. That is based on simply placing a 1 point stake to win on each horse at easily obtainable odds.

At £10 a stake, that works out at a £1030 profit, £25 stakes is a £2575 profit and at £50 stakes it would have returned £5150.

Here is how it all breaks down..

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And all next week – as a Platinum Smart Betting Club member you can get his entire set of Cheltenham tips for free sent each morning direct to your email account.

It’s that easy – no fuss, no hype, just some simple easy-to-follow betting tips, starting this Tuesday.

And for those of you that prefer to bet each way, profits can be made here too. If backing all of his tips 1 point each way, he has made a 186 point profit at 51.95% ROI since 2012.

So, whether you back these tips to win or each-way, by following this expert, you are giving yourself every chance of success this Cheltenham.

How To Gain Access To These Tips

Access to these Cheltenham tips is only available to those with a Platinum ‘Pro Punter’ SBC membership (our complete package).

So to grab your free access to this tipster, simply register for a Platinum membership today and once signed-up, visit the Platinum members area of the SBC website. There you will find a simple form you can drop your email address in to ensure you get all of his tips free during each day of Cheltenham.

Not only that but you will be able to access the whole SBC package – all of our current and past SBC magazines, Tipster Profit Reports, the Best Tipster Guide & much more besides. The full lowdown on what you can enjoy with a Platinum membership can be found here.

Best Regards,

Peter Ling
Smart Betting Club Editor

 

P.s. Why These Profits at Cheltenham Is No Fluke

For those of you keen to know more, rest assured this tipsters’ profits at Cheltenham are no fluke. Since 2012, his daily bets have made a 2777 points profit from 27,000 tips (all at 1 point level stakes).

He might not be a ‘name’ tipster or get paid to chat nonsense on TV like so many racing pundits, yet he knows his stuff when it comes to making betting pay.

If Carlsberg Did Tipsters…

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…Then chances are they would have put this service together!

Reviewed in detail in the freshly published 2nd part of the 2018 SBC Best Tipster Guide, we are describing it as one of ‘the very best tipping services we have ever monitored‘.

Best of all – it’s a must-read especially ahead of Cheltenham next week, as the the tipster in question focuses solely on National Hunt racing and has made a 35.1% Return on Investment over 1305 bets since 2012.

This current NH season alone he has made a mind-blowing 70.3% ROI from the first 115 bets advised, thanks to a regular pattern of big priced winners in recent months.

Here are some other reasons why we rate this tipster so highly:

  • Focus solely on big race meetings ensures no issues with odds movement;
  • Bets can be placed without issue either online or in shops;
  • Also available to those of you who can only bet with exchanges;
  • Free blog with further tips provided for midweek races (with a great record to boot);
  • All tips come with detailed explanation as to their selection.

Full details on this tipster plus a further 12 other recommended experts can be accessed now through the SBC’s Best Tipster Guide. Available now via the very popular Platinum ‘Pro Punter’ membership (our complete package).

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What Is The Best Tipster Guide?

The Best Tipster Guide is a collection of 13 of the very best tipsters as uncovered by the Smart Betting Club since 2016 and it comes in three parts as follows:

  1. The 2018 Best Tipster Guide featuring 4 new top tipster reviews due for release throughout 2018 (the 1st and 2nd of these reviews are out now with the 3rd to follow later in 2018)
  2. The 2017 Best Tipster Guide, featuring reviews of 5 more top tipsters, who continue to make consistent profits;
  3. The original 2016 Best Tipster Guide, which featured our first 5 top-rated tipsters, each of whom have also continued to make a profit since inclusion.

By purchasing access to the Best Tipster Guide through a Platinum SBC membership, you will receive full access to all 13 detailed tipster reviews and unique tipster discounts.

As well as gaining access to the full Best Tipster Guide, a Platinum Smart Betting Club membership also grants you full access to our complete ‘Professional Punter’ package including:

  • 1 Year of SBC Magazines;
  • 1 Year of Tipster Profit Reports;
  • 1 Year of Bet Diary Pro Access;
  • Access to our 12-year Back Catalogue;
  • Access To The SBC Tipping Forum;
  • Gold Tipster Discounts & Trials;
  • Platinum Tipster Discounts & Trials;
  • Our Best Systems & Guides;
  • Full 90-Day Refund Guarantee!

All told – it’s quite the package with a huge amount of expertise and information available to you and all from a genuinely independent source.

Best Of All – Save £45 Right Now

By joining the Smart Betting Club today, you can also save a whopping £45 on the usual cost of a Platinum ‘Pro Punter’ membership (which provides access to the Best Tipster Guide!)

This is because we have slashed the price of joining to ensure as many people as possible have access to our reports, magazines and guides.

We know we can make a difference to your punting – so why not sign-up right away and get started immediately. (There is a 90-day refund guarantee available after all!)

See you on the inside.

Read more on how the Best Tipster Guide can help YOU!

Best Regards,

Peter Ling
Smart Betting Club Editor

Pete_HeadShot_SMall

Your Help Needed: Minimum Bet Law & How You Can Get Involved

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If bookmaker account restrictions and closures are a problem for you then I have important developments to share today – including how you can help drive change towards a minimum bet law – where bookies would be compelled to lay ALL punters a certain amount whatever their skill and profit level.

Driven by the punters champion, Brian Chappell of Justice for Punters, it is your chance to stand up and demand change in the bookmaking industry.

A Gambling Commission Consultation On Bookmakers

The Gambling Commission (GC) has recently opened a new consultation into Licence conditions and codes of practice (LCCP)’ of bookmakers and are extremely keen to hear from gambling consumers (i.e. YOU) on your thoughts about the industry and how you are treated.

If you want the GC to have more powers to enforce fair play of any sort amongst bookmakers, including the ‘right to bet’, (in other words to introduce a minimum bet law for sports betting) it’s vitally important as many of you as possible contribute to this consultation.

It’s not just the right to bet and minimum bet laws that are covered by this consultation but also other bookmaker ‘complaints and disputes’ that you might have. After all, we all know that present customer services from nearly all major bookmaking companies are poor and people often have to wait months for justice using dispute resolution.

It’s your chance to feedback therefore on topics like:

  • Your experiences with bet restrictions and your thoughts on a min bet law;
  • The issues you regularly experience with bookmakers as a keen punter;
  • The changes you would like to see implemented as part of a fairer system.

All of these opinions and more are being sought by the Gambling Commission as part of their consultation.

Rather than fill in the long-winded LCCP formal consultation document itself, the good news is that you can now share them your thoughts with the GC via email to consultation@gamblingcommission.gov.uk

But before you pen your email – allow me to provide some ideas on how to make your submission to them as powerful as possible…

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Tips To Make Your Contribution As Impactful As Possible

To help ensure your email to the GC has the maximum impact, I have a few pointers on how to frame it as follows:

  • Include as much detail as possible

The more detail you can include in your email to the Gambling Commission, the better. If you have a long history of bad treatment whether it be bet restrictions, slow withdrawals, bet disputes or anything else, then make sure you write about it.

  • Share your personal experiences

No-one can question your personal experiences if you have suffered what you believe to be unfair treatment at the hands of a bookmaker, so be sure to include as many of these as possible within your email.

If you had your account limited or closed – why did this happen and when? Had you made any money betting at that point? How did each firm treat you?

If you had a bet dispute or delay withdrawing funds – again, why did this happen, who was it with and how long did it take to resolve? (if at all)

  • Try not to rant & be constructive

I know bookmaking can be an emotive subject for many, but if you can, try and make your points as calmly and eloquently as possible. Ranting emails are likely to be overlooked in favour of those that make their points clearly and constructively.

  • Question the standards and morality of restrictions

We all know there are some very distinct issues when it comes to betting restrictions and that it is simply wrong that a UK gambling licence allows companies to refuse to trade with anyone who shows ability when sports betting.

This is not fair and not what a bookmaker is supposed to have a licence for.

It is presently made worse by the fact that bookmakers do not make it clear in their advertising and terms and conditions that all customers who study and use skill are effectively banned from sports betting using stake restrictions.

Contrasting restrictions with how free and easy bookmakers make it to lose money with them, be it online in their casino or by playing FOBT’s and you have some very clear double standards to reference.

Why We Want A ‘Minimum Bet Law’

We have been banging on about the issue of restrictions now for several years, including through our Better Betting Campaign, which we ran in 2016 to raise awareness of this issue.

As we outlined in that campaign – the solution to betting restrictions has long been that of a minimum bet law or right to bet, which would compel all bookmakers as part of their licence requirements to lay a bet from all punters for an agreed amount.

A sensible figure bandied around is that of laying to lose up to £500 on any one bet – so for example you could get £50 on a 10/1 shot without issue.

I ran a short poll on this for 2 hours on social media on Tuesday with 36% of you thinking £500 is a sensible amount and 38% hoping for £1000+.

SBC Twitter Poll

Whatever the amount any minimum bet law might have, it’s worth looking to Australia, where a similar rule has been imposed for sometime now and is working to good effect.

To implement such a rule in the UK would ultimately require regulation as bookies have shown no appetite to lay bets from all punters themselves. They have proven time and time again, that as an industry they cannot self-regulate effectively.

Whilst most bookmakers continue to blame ‘arbers’ and say it’s only a tiny minority of punters impacted by restrictions, the ever-growing number of those complaining about it would suggest otherwise.

Even the Racing Post has belatedly got in on the act, with Editor Bruce Millington finally agreeing action is needed on this issue. Although his counter-argument that such a law would see some punters opening multiple accounts to get up to £20,000 on (if the min bet law was £1000 and they had 20 accounts) is a very weak one. In reality, very, very few punters are staking up to such levels. In any case, bookmakers are not being told what odds to offer so they could simply slash the price on any bet they are worried about liabilities on if too much money comes in. It’s that old chestnut again – bookmakers actually running a proper book.

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Parliament Takes An Active Interest

Bruce was also one of the invited speakers (alongside Simon Rowlands of the excellent Horseracing Bettors Forum and SkyBet CEO Richard Flint) at a recent Parliamentary All-Party Betting & Group seminar entitled ‘ ‘Are bookmakers unfairly closing customer accounts?’

As the Guardian report of this packed meeting suggests, the likelihood of a min bet ruling is growing ever more likely as momentum grows on this issue.

One of the attendees, Lord Lipsey summed up many punters thoughts when he exclaimed that “We should be congratulating winners, not denigrating them, if we want racing and betting to grow” and that “Bookmakers need to get a grip of this”.

The clear implication that if bookmakers won’t take action on this issue then the government and regulatory bodies will, just as they are doing on FOBT’s.

All of which is why it’s so important as many of you as possible share your experiences with the Gambling Commission on bookmakers.

If you believe a min bet law is needed – let them know why and how restrictions have impacted you.

You can send your thoughts to them via this email address: consultation@gamblingcommission.gov.uk

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to help drive change!

Thanks To Justice for Punters

A word if I may as well here for the aforementioned Justice for Punters (JFP) group of volunteers, who continue to do sterling work on behalf of us all and who have led the charge on this topic.

Brian of JFP has been a tireless campaigner for punters rights and a constant thorn in the bookies side over recent years. Whilst the Racing Post refuse to highlight his work, he has been quoted extensively by the likes of the Times, Guardian and BBC who recognise his status.

His help in raising awareness of this new consultation and enabling the Gambling Commission to accept submissions via email has also been vital. My thanks go out to him for all his assistance.

For more information on the work of Justice for Punters please do visit https://justiceforpunters.org/ and become a ‘friend’ of their campaign. This is free and none of your details will be shared with any other organisations or for that matter, anyone.

Best Regards,
Peter Ling
Smart Betting Club Editor

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