professional betting

DragonBet’s James Lovell on Bookmaking, Sharp Bettors & the Betting Ring

Posted on by Peter Ling

What is it really like running an independent bookmaker in Britain in 2026, and what can understanding how bookmakers think, price and manage their customers teach us as smart bettors?

In Episode 108, I sit down with James Lovell, co founder of DragonBet and experienced racecourse bookmaker, to explore life on the other side of the betting counter.

James explains why bigger staking and sharper punters are increasingly returning to the racecourse, as competitive prices, online restrictions and reduced exchange liquidity make the betting ring an attractive alternative. You can read his thoughts on the topic here. ​

We also get inside DragonBet, where compliance now requires roughly twice as many people as trading, and discuss sharp bettors, restrictions, regulation and the growing threat from black market bookmakers.

Finally, James explains how increased taxation is affecting smaller operators and why, despite all these pressures, he remains optimistic about the future of independent bookmaking.

You can listen to Episode 108 FREE now via Apple / Spotify / YouTube and all other major podcast directories (search Smart Betting Club)

You can also support the SBC Podcast by visiting our podcast sponsor, Matchbook. You can get 150 days, commission free with them via this link.

Topics covered include

  • James’s journey from growing up in a bookmaking family to becoming a racecourse bookmaker
  • Bringing traditional racecourse bookmaking values into an online betting business
  • Why bigger staking and price sensitive punters are returning to the racecourse – especially with competitive pricing.
  • How online restrictions and compliance friction are influencing where people bet
  • The impact of declining exchange liquidity on bookmakers and punters
  • How large bets and AML checks are handled on course
  • Why compliance is now one of the biggest challenges facing independent bookmakers
  • How DragonBet approaches sharp and winning bettors
  • Why James believes bookmakers need customers who are trying to beat them
  • The competitive threat posed by unregulated and black market betting operators
  • Higher taxation, rising costs and why James believes DragonBet needs to grow rather than simply cut costs

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The Return of Real Bookmaking
“Until a few years ago, you could be really lazy and just track the exchanges. Now you have to pay attention to your surroundings. It’s bringing back that old bookmaking skill again.”

Sharp Punters Are Part of Bookmaking
“I can’t say we want to take on every sharp punter in the world, but at the same time, we are bookmakers and we do want to have a bet. A bookmaker is not a bookmaker unless he’s got punters who are trying to beat him.”

Why Punters Are Returning to the Racecourse
“I’m taking the same amount of bets as I was a few years ago, but my average stake has gone up massively. It’s definitely the bigger punters. If you’re having a bigger bet, you’re more likely to shop around and notice the difference in prices.”

Regulation Does Not Remove the Demand to Bet
“The increase in stakes on the racecourse tells you one thing about over regulation. It doesn’t stop the demand. People still want to bet on horse racing. They’re just going to try and find somewhere else to go and do it.”

Compliance Versus Taking Bets
“The biggest shock to me when we launched, going from the racecourse to online, was how much smaller a part of the business trading is. We’re bookmakers. We want to be here taking bets, and it’s very easy to get distracted by other stuff such as compliance.”

Why Bookmakers Ask for Bank Statements
“You ask someone for a bank statement, I wouldn’t want to send my bank statement. I don’t want my missus to see my bank statement, never mind someone I don’t know at a bookmaker. But the truth is, to work within the Gambling Commission guidelines, there are certain instances where you have to ask for certain stuff.”

The Black Market Advantage
“These black market websites, their incentive is to do the opposite (than safer gambling). They want to provide the path of least friction for customers. Their advertising, they’re using no regulation as an advertising tool, and I just think it’s dangerous and wrong.”

You Cannot Cut Your Way to Growth
“You can cut your way to survival for a while, but ultimately you’ve got to grow your way out of it. We’re trying not to become a worse bookmaker and offer worse prices. We’re trying to become a bigger and better one.”

Treating Punters Fairly
“We’re fair bookmakers. We’re fair to punters. I can’t say that we’re going to take on every sharp punter, that would just be wrong. We’re a business trying to make money, but we’ll treat you properly.”

Why Betting Odds-On Can Be More Profitable Than You Think

Posted on by Peter Ling

There is a particular type of bet that many experienced bettors instinctively dislike.

A 1.30 shot.

A 1.20 shot.

Sometimes even shorter.

The usual reaction is that there cannot possibly be much value at those prices.

But what if that thinking is wrong?

And what if avoiding short priced bets means ignoring some of the best betting opportunities available?

That is something we have been highlighting at the Smart Betting Club for years.

And this week, independent tipster and betting analyst Craig Edwards provided a very interesting example of it.

“I Rarely Bet Odds On”

Craig has just published a detailed review of WinnerOdds, a service we have followed, reviewed and recommended at SBC for several years.

What makes his experience particularly interesting is that WinnerOdds goes against Craig’s normal betting instincts.

As he explains:

“Anyone who follows my stuff will know I rarely bet odds on, very rarely, but this service in general is the opposite.”

Craig originally subscribed after our recommendation at Smart Betting Club.

Nearly 30 months later, his verdict is pretty emphatic:

“I did and have never looked back!”

You can read Craig’s full independent WinnerOdds review here:

​https://craigedwards811131.substack.com/p/winner-odds-review​

Craig also explains that WinnerOdds concentrates on smaller edges combined with significant betting volume, meaning many of its selections are odds on.

It is a very different approach to hunting for big priced winners. But that does not mean the value is any smaller.

Why Betting Odds On Is So Misunderstood

Earlier this year we explored this exact subject at SBC.

One of the biggest misconceptions in betting is that a short price automatically means poor value.

It doesn’t.

A team offered at 1.30 that should actually be priced at 1.20 represents an edge of around 6.5%.

Find opportunities like that repeatedly and those relatively small advantages can add up.

Our analysis of more than 4,000 bets from one successful football service found that over a third of its 1,552 points of profit came from its short priced bets.

But I have also seen the same thing with my own money.

€37,000 Profit betting between 1.01 and 1.6

I personally followed WinnerOdds for several years.

Over that period my account generated just under €64,000 profit.

And here is the part that might surprise you.

More than €37,000 of that profit came from bets priced between just 1.01 and 1.60.

That is nearly 60% of the total profit coming from the sort of prices many bettors instinctively avoid.

They weren’t winning bets simply because they were short.

They were profitable because they were mispriced.

You can read our full article explaining the numbers and why short priced betting is so often misunderstood here:

​https://smartbettingclub.com/blog/betting-odds-on-is-misunderstood/​

This Is What SBC Is About

There are countless accepted ideas in betting that deserve to be questioned.

Never back odds on.

Always look for bigger prices.

A short priced winner was obvious.

A losing bet was a bad bet.

At the Smart Betting Club, we are interested in what the evidence actually tells us rather than anecdotes or assumptions.

That means independently testing betting services, analysing thousands of real bets, speaking with successful bettors and sharing the strategies and services we believe serious bettors should know about.

WinnerOdds is just one example.

SBC members get access to our monthly SBC Magazine, our archive of betting service reviews and reports stretching back 20 years, plus our latest research, interviews, analysis and member benefits.

​If you want to make better informed betting decisions and discover opportunities you may otherwise overlook, you can join Smart Betting Club today.

How Harry Made Over £1 Million Betting, Exchanges, Syndicates And Professional Betting Insights | SBC Podcast #105

Posted on by Peter Ling

Making over £1 million from betting is enough to grab anyone’s attention. The real story, though, is how my guest in Episode 105 of the SBC Podcast, Harry, got there.

In this episode, Harry lifts the lid on life as a professional bettor, from exploiting early Betfair markets and building successful betting syndicates, to finding value on today’s betting exchanges, managing variance, surviving losing years and continually adapting as betting markets have evolved.
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He also explains why exchanges now form the backbone of his betting, how he identifies inflated prices, and the practical challenges of funding accounts in an era of affordability checks.

If you’ve ever wondered what separates long term winning bettors from everyone else, this is an honest and fascinating insight into the mindset, discipline and decision making required to stay ahead.

You can listen to Episode 105 FREE now via Apple / Spotify / YouTube and all other major podcast directories (search Smart Betting Club)

You can also support the SBC Podcast by visiting our podcast sponsor, Matchbook. You can get 150 days, commission free with them via this link.

Topics covered include

  • Harry’s journey to more than £1 million in betting profits
  • Why he still works in the legal profession despite betting professionally
  • How early Betfair markets created opportunities that no longer exist
  • The transition from trading and shop betting to exchange based value betting
  • Building and operating successful betting syndicates
  • How syndicates calculate expected value and split profits fairly
  • The evolution of bookmaker promotions, Lucky 15s and shop betting opportunities
  • Finding value through exchanges, inflated markets and probability modelling
  • Using Bookie Bashing alongside personal research to validate prices
  • Why adapting to changing markets is essential for long term success
  • Managing variance, losing years and maintaining confidence in expected value
  • The psychological benefits of working with trusted betting partners
  • The impact of affordability checks, exchange funding and bookmaker restrictions
  • Examples of betting “unicorns” and market inefficiencies that generated exceptional returns
  • Harry’s biggest betting wins and lessons from twenty years as a professional bettor
  • His advice for anyone looking to build a sustainable betting career from scratch

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Key quoteS

On Being A Professional…​
“I describe myself as a professional gambler because I treat it like a business. I’m very strict in terms of the bets I place, the maths behind them and the way I keep my accounts.”
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​On Where He Bets…​
“About 95 to 98% of the bets I’ve placed this year have been online. They’re mainly on Matchbook, BetDAQ, Smarkets and Betfair, looking for incorrectly priced and inflated markets.”
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​On Working With Others…​
“Our current syndicate has made just under £1 million in profit. There’s only two of us, and we split every profit and every loss 50/50. That trust has allowed us to include far more opportunities than we could have otherwise.”
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​On Making Over 1.4million…​
“The first syndicate we built recorded more than 100,000 bets. Collectively it made around £1.4 million in profit, almost exactly matching the expected value we calculated. That gave us huge confidence in the maths.”
​
​On Being A Professional…​
“Once I’ve found an opportunity, I don’t just back it. I’ll compare it against other data sets, other bookmakers and other sources until I’ve got the confidence that the price really is wrong.”
​
​On The Issues With Affordability Checks..
​“At the start of every betting year, I almost feel like I’m losing money because I have so much tied up in betting exchanges that I can’t withdraw. Inflation is eating away at it, but I’m worried I won’t be able to get the funds back in if I need them.”

On Adapting & Evolving…
​“The opportunities that existed five or ten years ago have changed. Every edge eventually becomes harder, so you’ve constantly got to adapt and find new ones.”

On The Hours Put In…
​“People think professional betting is picking winners on a Saturday afternoon. They don’t see the hours spent researching, checking data, comparing prices and deciding not to place a bet.”
​
​On Expected Value’s Importance…
​“The biggest thing I’ve learned is to trust the expected value. We’ve had losing years, we’ve had losing months, but if the maths is right and the value is there, the profits follow over time.”

How A Former Football Referee Built A Profitable Betting Edge, Exclusive SBC Interview

Posted on by Peter Ling

Every so often, we get the opportunity to sit down with one of the betting industry’s genuine professionals and ask the questions that matter.

Our latest How I Bet For Profit interview does exactly that.

This month, SBC members can watch an exclusive interview with one of Europe’s most respected betting analysts – a former Danish league football referee, and the brains behind of one of our highest-rated betting tipsters.

His tipster service is up 47.78 points profit at 37% ROI this World Cup alone – more about that shortly…

In this interview, he explains how his route into betting is unlike anyone we’ve ever featured before, and it provides a fascinating insight into the mindset, discipline and preparation that underpin his long-term success.

Among the topics we discuss are:

  • How his refereeing career shaped his approach to betting
  • Why he believes professional betting should be treated like professional sport
  • How he prepares weeks in advance to identify value before markets move
  • Why understanding your own strengths and weaknesses is essential
  • His views on AI, modelling and where he believes the real edge still lies
  • How he structures his staking and copes with inevitable losing runs
  • Why discipline and “sticking to the plan” are the foundations of long-term profitability
​

37% ROI From The 2026 World Cup…So Far!

Alongside his How I Bet For Profit interview, members can also read our comprehensive review of his excellently run and affordably priced tipster service – as published in SBC Magazine 163.​

The review analyses every aspect of the service, including historical performance, obtainable odds, bankroll requirements, drawdowns, staking, practicalities of following, and whether we believe the edge is sustainable over the long term.

Even better, the service has continued to justify our confidence since the review was published in April.

May itself produced over 50 points profit at an ROI of 23%, whilst for the World Cup alone he is up 37% ROI from his first 83 bets, making this an ideal time to discover how one of Europe’s most respected professional bettors approaches the markets.

A Service Delivering Right Now

Of course, this interview and tipster review is just one part of what SBC membership offers.

Members also receive:

  • Independent, in-depth betting service reviews – showcasing the best tipsters and experts for you to follow!
  • Exclusive interviews with leading professional bettors
  • Strategy guides and educational content
  • Ongoing betting industry insight
  • Practical betting advice
  • Exclusive discounts on carefully selected betting services and tools

If you’re serious about improving your betting, we’d love to welcome you as an SBC member.

​Join today and gain immediate access to this exclusive interview, our full in-depth review of the service, and the complete SBC members’ area.

73% ROI Antepost Football Betting Strategy | Inside One of Football Betting’s Best Kept Secrets

Posted on by Peter Ling

Most profitable betting services are built around one simple idea.

Find value, place the bet and move on.

This month’s SBC Magazine looks at something very different.

In Issue 165, we take you inside one of football betting’s best kept secrets, a specialist antepost strategy that produced an outstanding 73% ROI during the 2025/26 season through high volume accumulators, active portfolio management and a level of planning unlike almost anything we’ve reviewed before.

Just as importantly, the results aren’t based on theoretical paper bets. They come from real bets placed by those behind it, all supported by an active community that continually shares ideas, market intelligence and practical advice.

Access Issue 165 and the entire 20 year back catalogue with a SBC Membership​

The Feature Review: 73% ROI Antepost Football Betting Strategy

  • Inside one of football betting’s most distinctive strategies.
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  • A real member case study turning £11,000 to £12,000 of stakes into around £43,000 in returns.
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  • An exclusive Q&A covering the edge, bookmakers and practical realities.
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  • Verified results from real bets, not paper profits.
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  • Exclusive £20 SBC member discount.
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ALSO IN SBC MAGAZINE ISSUE #165

Alongside our feature review of this specialist antepost football betting strategy, this month’s magazine also contains:

New Golf Betting Model Examined: We take a close look at a new golf value betting tool, designed to uncover mispriced golfers in the bookmaker place markets. Discover how its algorithms identify +EV opportunities and how the software can be tailored around the bookmaker accounts you actually use. Plus, SBC members can claim 50% off their first month with an exclusive introductory offer.

Benjamin Leanders Interview: One of Europe’s most respected professional bettors joins Rowan for the latest instalment in our How I Bet For Profit series. Benjamin reveals the mindset, routines and decision-making processes that have helped him build a long-term betting edge, along with the lessons serious bettors can apply to their own betting.

Bet Diary: Everything from Rowan this month on his tipster portfolio, the latest results and the ongoing realities of betting for profit.

Smart Punter Mailbag: More of your betting questions answered, covering subjects including increasing your turnover, new bookmakers to explore, and deciding when to call time on a service you follow.

Smart Bettor News: The latest stories from the world of profitable betting, together with analysis of the developments that matter most to serious bettors.

SIGN UP FOR INSTANT ACCESS

If you’re a member, log in to your SBC account to read Issue 165 today.
​
If not, join SBC now and get instant access to this magazine, our full tipster ratings, betting insight and knowledge and hundreds of previous issues and reports!

​To sign up as a paid SBC member, just click here and follow the registration link.​

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