As punters these days we can bet on pretty much anything we like from the existence of Aliens being proven (33/1 to happen this year) to the winner of the Eurovision song contest, where nearly £1million has been matched at Betfair already! (It’s safe to say that Terry Wogan’s wig will be trending this weekend too!)
There is however one thing that binds us all together as punters: Bookmakers.
Love or hate them, there is no getting away from the fact we simply can’t bet without them. Yet choosing the right bookmaker to bet with is critical and can make a massive difference to your profits…(and sometimes whether we make a profit or not in the first place!).
Yet our own research at the Smart Betting Club indicates that the majority of punters are actually betting with the wrong bookmakers!
This finding is based on the stats from our 2 independent bookmaker guides (#1 on Football and #2 on Horse Racing), where we found that when it comes to the worst bookmakers….
- Over 70% of punters are betting with our worst rated football bookmaker (and don’t know it!);
- Over 68.79% of punters are betting with our worst rated racing bookmaker;
- Nearly 80% of punters are betting with the 2nd worst rated football bookmaker.
And as regards the best bookmakers…
- Only 48% of all punters hold accounts with our 4 top rated football bookmakers;
- Only 58% of all punters bet with the racing bookmaker we rate 3rd best overall;
- Just 17.73% of all punters hold an account with our 6th best racing bookie.
It’s a pretty shocking statistic, and it means that most punters are missing out on things like…
- Better Odds – which mean of course bigger profits when you win! (MOST IMPORTANT!).
- More offers – free bet deals and special offers (like getting your stake back if your horse falls at the first fence or refuses to race!).
- Reliable service – with bookmakers that want you to win.
- Watch live sport – free live racing and football when you have an account with them.
Why Then Are So Many Punters Betting With The Wrong Bookies?
There are a number of reasons for this problem, but the root of it stems from the fact there are very few independent voices willing to really speak the truth about bookmakers.
The betting industry is dominated by a few big-name bookmakers who have powerful brands with large marketing budgets and PR departments. Many industry websites and newspapers rely on them as the source of major funding through advertising, making them almost untouchable to criticism (and competition).
Think about it – if a bookie is paying thousands each week to advertise with your newspaper – then chances are you aren’t going to openly criticise them and risk losing that!
Neither would you want to highlight smaller alternative bookmakers (who don’t advertise with you)- even if they offer a better service to punters. And by better I often mean with higher odds, which enable you as a punter to enjoy bigger winnings.
All told…there is only one person who suffers from this, and that’s you, Joe Punter.
The Football Odds Conspiracy
Take the example of Pinnacle Sports – a fantastic bookmaker that wants you to win, thanks to its unique punter-friendly model. More often than not they offer far superior odds to many ‘traditional bookies’ when betting on football. We love them, SBC members love them, yet you will find precious little about them in many mainstream outlets.
For example, it’s likely you won’t find their odds listed in the Racing Post this weekend – despite the fact that more often than not they are best or near-best price in the majority of Premier League games this Sunday.
Read my full article on the football odds conspiracy here
How To Find The Best Bookmakers
It’s our ambition to help drive change when it comes to helping you choose the right bookmakers and as we are 100% independent, we are able to call it like it really is.
It doesn’t matter if it puts a few noses out of joint at the bookies either. They dislike us enough already thanks to the number of SBC members who profit from our advice and reports.
So if you want to find out more on the best bookmakers – you can now get both our independent guides to Racing & Football bookies free with your SBC membership.
Both of the Football & Horse Racing guides provide the lowdown on the best bookmakers as rated by SBC members and the pro-gambling team here at the Smart Betting Club.
Our aim is to help you make the right choices when it comes to bookmakers….and of course help increase your betting profits.
Gain instant access today to all our independent bookmaker guides with a risk-free membership to the Smart Betting Club.
