From WA here and have never had a problem placeing or laying a bet....i even had to get the account fixed when i was deleted at one point...never a problem....but i can't place bets in-running it won't allowe that....but i have been told there are ways around that

The whole issue about betting exchanges and their possible adverse affects on the integrity on racing is filled with hypocrisy as far as I am concerned by those determined to protect their vested cash cow interests.

There are those who attack betting exchanges yet are doing exactly the same with some bets they offer! For practical purposes there is no difference between laying a football team or tennis player to lose a game on a betting exchange or betting that a football team or tennis player will win a particular game with a betting agency like a TAB Sportsbet.

In both cases the bettor is effectively nominating one player or one team to lose. In both cases money is made by a particular team or individual player losing.

Those who attack betting exchanges for damaging integrity should put their money where their mouths are and immediately cease betting on head to head sporting contests.

But it goes even further than that Neil, because at least Betfair pays for the privilege of betting on those sports (and would do for Australian racing, as they do with UK racing, if they were allowed to), but the tote operators DO NOT pay a fee to the other sports such as tennis or football etc. Hypocrisy at its worst.

Pardon my ignorance but what are bets in-running? Surely not while the race is being run????

KV

Yes Kenny, exactly that and it's one of the most popular bet types on Betfair particularly during the jumps season - the odds can change quite dramatically during a jumps race.

It's illeagal to bet in that manner using the internet in Australia but can be done by telephone, which is not an ideal way of having a bet-in-the-run.

Fully agree with you, La Mer. I just wanted to keep it nice and simple. One of the most powerful and often used arguments is that our racing is clean and to keep racing clean and so protect punters, betting exchanges should not be permitted to operate. lol.

Presumably they don't worry about keeping other sports clean to protect punters on those sports by offering bets that are effectively a form of laying one team or one player. ...."I want this tennis player to lose because then I win my bet," is no different to laying that tennis player to lose on a betting exchange.

In addition, how is integrity protected when there are also margins bets in games?

Who is trying to fool who? Who is trying to pull the wool over punters' eyes?

It's all about preventing competition and finding arguments other than that to justify their position. Obviously no punters would accept, "We don't want betting exchanges. They might reduce the amount of money we win from you and so lower our profits."

And you can bet your bottom dolllar that as soon as betfair have their aussie liscence , the tabs will bring in their own exchange and all the reasons they quote for banning betfair will be a non issue in their eyes.

And the ONLY reason the TAB was created in the first place was to put illegal bookies out of business. lol

So has anybody actually come up with a system yet that incorporates data from Betfair? If so, what is the methodology you are using?

Tailwag