📰 SBC Magazine Issue #141: A Football Focus For April! ⚽️

After an extremely busy month at SBC, today we are releasing SBC Magazine Issue #141, which has a strong football betting theme in preparation for the Euros!

Despite a high profile podcast with the CEO of the Gambling Commission, Andrew Rhodes, we have still got plenty of our ‘bread and butter’ content prepared and released in April, with two long-term winning football services put under the SBC review microscope!

We provide a snapshot of what’s inside below. If it sounds like it could be for you, then sign-up for membership to get instant access to SBC 141 and our full back catalogue

Clocking in at 56 pages long, SBC 141 includes:

  • Analysis on Football Trading Club, the pre-match service that finds value in major markets with both bookmakers and exchanges
  • A further football tipster review for an in-play service that has major benefits for account longevity (alongside profitability, with exchanges again providing a viable outlet for getting on!)
  • SBC Member Q & As, with practical advice provided by the SBC team
  • Two SBC Podcasts, with reflection and reaction to accompany our content

SIGN UP FOR INSTANT ACCESS

To gain instant access SBC Magazine #141 and all of our back catalogue of reviews and reports, you will require SBC Membership. To sign up as a paid SBC member, just click here and follow the registration link.

To have a good look at what SBC Members get, this video introduces changes to the area of the site for those with full subscriptions, providing you with a sneak peak of what is inside!

🎧SBC Podcast #74: An Expert Panel Discuss The Andrew Rhodes Interview & What It Means For Punters

Following up on last week’s special podcast interview with Andrew Rhodes from the Gambling Commission, we’ve just released a special ‘reaction episode’, which is now available for download.

Joining me were three betting experts – Dan Waugh, Harry Stewart-Moore, and Chris Fawcett – as we delve into the key points discussed and offer insights on both what Andrew did and didn’t say and the work of the under-fire regulator.

We also debated the growth of the black market and what its increased usage tells us about the frustrations felt by so many punters.

So whether it be affordability or stake limits, issues getting bets on and getting paid out by bookmakers OR simply whether they can be trusted or not to oversee the change the regulator wants to implement, this is a podcast for you.

You can listen to Episode 74 now via Apple / Spotify / Google / YouTube and all other major podcast directories (search Smart Betting Club)

Not Yet Heard Episode 73?

If yet to hear Episode 73 and my interview with the UK Gambling Commission CEO Andrew Rhodes – you can find download links and information about it here.

Via that link I also share some of my thoughts on the interview and what I hope might happen next from the Gambling Commission.

Given how infrequently Andrew speaks to those who enjoy betting, this episode has proven to be very popular with lots of interest in it from all across the betting world.

Thanks to all of you who have commented, shared and messaged about this interview. Your support is much appreciated!

SBC Podcast #73: Andrew Rhodes – CEO Of The Gambling Commission

In the latest SBC Podcast I am joined by The Gambling Commission CEO Andrew Rhodes for an in-depth chat about the regulation of gambling in the UK.

‘The White Paper’ was published last year and this document has resulted in some fierce debate across the gambling world, with the Gambling Commission coming under fire as accusations of bias, secrecy and incompetence have been levelled at them.

This chat provides Andrew with the opportunity to refute those claims and to discuss some of the issues that are of interest to you – the punters.

I didn’t get to ask about every topic on our list (restrictions, Minimum Bet Liability (MBL), the debate around statistics in gambling and many more items were considered) but it was great to get some clarity on things like affordability, the black market and bookmaker behaviour.

You can listen to Episode 73 now via Apple / Spotify Google / YouTube and all other major podcast directories (search Smart Betting Club)

MY THOUGHTS ON THE INTERVIEW

Given how seldom we hear from Andrew Rhodes or the Gambling Commission, especially when it concerns the perspectives of bettors, I genuinely appreciated the opportunity to interview him on this podcast. It was a unique chance to address numerous pressing issues and represent the concerns of the average bettor.

With only about an hour of his time available, I made it my priority to delve into four key areas: Affordability Checks, Open Banking, Bookmaker Behaviour, and the Black Market. These topics often intertwined, prompting questions like why should we trust bookmakers with intrusive affordability checks and open banking given their track record?

I focused on these areas, not because others aren’t important, such as a Minimum Bet Law or the Gambling Commission’s use of statistics and data, but because of the necessity to prioritize.

Reflecting on the interview, I felt a mix of frustration and intrigue. There were moments of frustration where clarity seemed elusive, particularly regarding the specifics of frictionless checks and their implementation, and the perceived lack of urgency in addressing issues with bookmaker behavior. Open banking, just like bookmakers restricting stakes was a ‘consumer decision’, which might be correct but yet when 80% of those confronted by open banking refuse to engage with it, clearly it’s not a tenable solution.

However, there were also glimpses of progress, such as the confirmation that checks could be scrapped if proven ineffective or non-frictionless. Additionally, acknowledging the growth of the UK black market and a willingness to address it signalled a step in the right direction, although the Commission’s capacity to tackle it effectively remains in question. Exactly what kind of impact can an organisation with just 370 employees realistically have against the wave of black market websites and WhatsApp bookies out there currently?

I emphasised the importance of the Gambling Commission engaging directly with bettors and their representatives, rather than solely with anti-gambling organizations or industry bodies like the Betting and Gaming Council. This podcast marked a significant moment as it seemed to be the first time Rhodes engaged with a pro-betting organization, potentially paving the way for more open dialogue with punters and their representatives such as Justice for Punters and the Gamblers Consumer Forum.

While disagreements persist regarding the Gambling Commission’s policies and approaches, the opportunity to voice concerns about the UK betting landscape remains crucial. Here at the SBC, we have been extremely critical of the Gambling Commission and what we perceive to be regulatory failures both before and during Andrew Rhodes’s tenure.

Despite that, we thought that it was important to get him on the show, to let him speak and to get the opportunity to pose questions that punters want answered – something that we haven’t seen him do before.

This chat was difficult as unlike most of our previous podcasts, I quite strongly disagree with the guest on a whole host of issues! I hope that you enjoy it and as I said at the end of the show, I hope that it represents a fresh start, with the regulator interacting with punters and bodies who represent them more regularly.

SBC Editor – Peter Ling

April: Football Focus at SBC! 📈 First of 2 Tipster Reviews Out Now

For April, we are concentrating on the beautiful game, with two new, in-depth tipster reviews to help SBC Members navigate profitable betting on this sport.

Football is a great betting medium as bookmakers are less wary of it, liquidity is high and there are numerous ways to get on, including soft bookies, sharp books and exchanges.

FOOTBALL TRADING CLUB

The first review of the month covers Football Trading Club, a one-bet-a-day service that focuses on the biggest leagues, with the following bet types being their most regular route to profit:

  • 1×2 markets
  • Over/Under 2.5 goals
  • Both Teams To Score (BTTS)
  • Asian Handicap Betting

Run by an experienced bettor with expertise in the financial markets, this service has built up an enviable record, with a 7.84% ROI marking it out as an outlier in a sport where any figure above 5% is something to boast about.

It is easy to follow, it concentrates on liquid markets and is exchange friendly, making it a great low-variance service to add to any portfolio.

Best of all, there is a SBC member only discount available on the cost of joining Football Trading Club!

SIGN UP FOR ACCESS

Our review of ‘FTC’ is out now and for instant access you will need a SBC Subscription.

Inside the review PDF, you will find a detailed 16-page report that includes everything that you will need to assess the service, including:

  • P & L performance
  • Odds movement analysis
  • Monte Carlo Simulations
  • Drawdown analysis
  • Our conclusions and recommendations
  • 50% discount

So, if you are considering a football service in the coming months, now is the perfect time to sign up.

We have a 2nd Football Tipster review lined up to showcase later this April – making it as a real month for football bettors interested in finding profitable tipsters to follow

Sign up options to join us at SBC are available to view here and as ever, if you have any questions, please get in touch!

You’re Invited: 2024 Smart Bash – Elevate Your Betting Game! Grab Your Ticket Now

Get ready for an unparalleled experience in the world of betting at the 2024 Smart Bash!

Join us on Friday, July 19th at Chelsea Football Club for a day packed with invaluable betting insights and connections.

Discover insider strategies, engage with industry experts, and network with fellow betting enthusiasts during seminars, presentations, and panels tailored to elevate your betting prowess.

Afterward, unwind and mingle at Frankie’s Bar during our lively drinks evening.

Don’t miss out on this exclusive opportunity to enhance your betting journey with a ticket to the 2024 Smart Bash.

Brought to you by the Smart Betting Club, Bookie Bashing and Matchbook

Visit Smart-Bash.com to secure your Discounted Early Bird ticket for only £99

Or purchase your ticket directly now via EventBrite

See you there!

⛳ Golf Betting Club Delivers AGAIN Before The Masters! ⛳

Congratulations to those of you who signed up to Golf Betting Club after reading our blog post last week!

A service that is really firing this year, Akshay Bhatia delivered their latest winner as he won in the Valero Texas Open after being advised as a headline tip at 60/1 earlier in the week:

Bhatia looked like cruising home until an unbelievable final round by Denny McCarthy forced a playoff, which Bhatia took after his rival inexplicably found the water on the first playoff hole.

This success takes the service’s overall profit for 2024 to over 125 points and with ‘GBC’ tipping into mature markets, across all three tours, in exotic markets and in-play, they really do provide the complete package as we can see here:

Sign Up Now

With The Masters opening the Major season next week, now is the perfect time to join Neil and Duncan Campbell in their regular forays into the betting markets.

If you would like a sneak peak of their opinions about the action at Augusta, they have just released this free-to-read piece on their website. Inside, you will find trends, course info, shortlist ‘prerequisites’, stats and weather analysis.

SBC Membership can save you between £25 and £50 on Golf Betting Club Memberships and if you would like to read about the service in more depth and the different subscription options, you can do so here.

As ever, if you have any questions, please get in touch!