Ever had a surprise from a TAB?
 

I bet race 9 at Rosehill yesterday, playing a 8-3 quinella on the last race. The probable payoff was $167 for my $2 bet. It ran that way, but my TAB decided to cancel all bets and refund them. (after over 1 1/2 hours of alleged tote problems) I got my $2 back instead of the $167. What robbery! The quinella paid nearly the same in Australia, and an examination of the entire probable payoffs found nothing amiss, nothing unexpected or extraordinary
in these estimates. It's happened to all of us one time or another, but is so very frustrating everytime it happens to you. I don't know exactly what happened, and am awaiting a private explaination from my TAB, since they publically offered none. I may be playing with a different TAB after this chicanery. 20% of the money in each North American betting pool is shared by the government and TAB. Horseplayers worldwide have a tough enough time trying to make a profit without being robbed even further by either TAB computer problems or the sheer incompetence of the operators.

Regards,

Glenn

The TAB is a bunch of non-carers Avenger.

I did have problem with a TAB phone account I have had for over 15yrs.. The TAB has a policy here that I only found out by accident. After a certain amount of winnings I tried to withdraw some funds. I was not allowed to due to new account laws prohibiting withdrawals from accounts over 5yrs. old[?] with over $1000 in them.

Of course I was informed I could keep betting with the account or even deposit into the account [ho ho]. The TAB wanted further proof of my identity sent to Head Office [photo copies and signed 'sighted' at my local TAB]. After following their request, 3 months later I was still waiting for permission to withdraw funds.
To cut a long story short, they said to me on the phone they never received the info. This happened 3 times and after 3 more times having my identity 'sighted' and posted yet again [I know the local TAB owner and he let me post the info. myself to rule out their claims he might not have sent the info.].

It took me almost a year to get those funds [finally] out of my account.
'The big slow' routine, hoping I would lose the money before I could collect it [I actually increased it:-)].

Another new law has just come into Aust. TAB's. If you have a bet at the TAB, you now have only 3min. to change the bet if after checking your tickets it is a wrong bet [regardless of jump times perhaps hours away]. Happened to my wife here last week. Murphy is sometimes friendly. The [wrong] bet won !!

STREWTH
 

3 minutes regardless of race start / absolutely outrageous .
darky

Don't expect any signs up informing you of it either Darky. After the Brake complained there has been no sigh put up advising punters of the new '3min. rule', She was told the TAB has told him he is not allowed to put up a sign warning punters, doubly outrageous !!!

Actually I agree with that rule. It came in as a result of some people attempting to manipulate pools particularly harness & dog races where the pools are not as large, e.g. put $5,000 on a dog crushing the pool then just before the off cancelling the bet.

Unfortunately, those that have made an honest mistake sometimes have to pay the price.

What about the no sign rule? How does that figure in the plot?

That's true Crash they should be displayed, but the TAB appear reluctant to advise customers of anything these days. Years ago you could go into a TAB & displayed would be the take-outs from the various pools, nowadays you could scratch your head trying to find out for the chances are that even the operator can't tell you.

I enter my own bets on my computer. Any errors I make cannot be cancelled.

Regards,

Glenn

I [mostly] do too Avenger, but if I'm out and about I can't an use a TAB. We get paid better odds though for betting on-line and KNOW in advance we can't alter the bet so are a lot more careful and it's harder to make a mistake on a brightly lit screen.

The TAB slips are much smaller than they used to be in Victoria [probably deliberate to get lots of mistakes from poor sighted pensioners].You now need a magnifying glass to fill out the slips. Mistakes are easy in poorly lit country TAB's.

Why anyone still uses the TAB's (for win or place betting) is beyond me.

And me too Mark.

Cheers .
darky.

Gday Mark...

I have four TAB accounts... But there is really only one that gets a run and that is the Norfolk island mob... I dont bet huge amounts so the pool size is really not an issue for me

There are a couple reasons

1. The rounding that the mainland Tabs get away with is absolutely disgusting and morally reprehensible. Not only do they skim on average about 17% from the win totes they also round down to the nearest point. So if you have a dividend that should be 1.99, you dont get 2 bucks You get 1.90.. ON NI they round down but only to the .05. so the same winner get you a 1.95 divivie...it all adds up over the year,,,AS far as I know these hiwaymen are the only mob in the country allowed to get away with that.. It should be outlawed immediately. Disgusting

To my way of thinking the books are not much better with these heroes putting up opening markets of 160% at times.. What heroes.. A lot of the time they are betting worse percentages than the ML TABS.. or if they are really unimaginative and ave no real clue as to form they bet tote prices, not a lot of value there.. this business in SA hasn't helped their cause, fancy welching... how Australian is that..... The practice of flicking winning punters is something that really should challenged in the courts or laws changed to make it illegal for these vermin to get away with it.... gutless is what most of em are

2. As in the point above, the 117% plus rounding is hiway burglary. I only ever bet into those pools if the dividend is at least 50% better than the Norfolk Island Mob. I am here to tell you it does not happen that often. The NI MOb operate markets of about 100 - 101%.. But there is a take out of a maximum of 5% of the declared divvie. Even if your personal "takeout" is 5% you are in reality at least 11% ahead over the long term... You can get your "takeout" down to 2.5% depending on your turnover.

The only other time I use the Mainland TABS is a normal Monday, the NI mob have a day off on Monday as a rule..

AFAIK Betfair are still playing fair and not betting on Victorian Racing... when they stopped offering markets on VIC Racing I stopped offering my cash to the layers of Betfair... I havent been back to have a look since

AS ya can tell I have had a losing day today :)

In all honesty I couldn't be stuffed signing up to any other account bag the TAB all you want it is easy for me I don't have a credit card simply refuse to just so easy to go to the TAB which is a couple of minutes walk up the road to put some money in the account.

Hey Mark long time now see.....Raw Instinct if you worked out how much you have lost in the last 12 months using Tabs you would change your mind....i only ever use Tabs for exotics

Hi. I too must vent my anger at the TAB's incompetence.

Last year I went to put a 5 dog boxed first four for a group one race (closing argument, bond, bonshaw boy, see you later and fenceline) but the TAB computers crashed 1 minute before the race.

And of course the first four got up and paid 16,000. Still havent gotten over that.

ouch

Well, you never know about poor eyesight. Having worn glasses for 44 of my 55 years, bifocals now, I misread a tip on a race as #6 instead of #8 at Hong Kong awhile back, bet $2 to win and the #6 came rushing home to win at 35-1 odds. Most of us have a story like that, I'd venture to say.

Regards,

Glenn

wish the ATO took only 17%,there bigger sharks than the tabs ..........................

I also don't have a credit card. Don't have any interest in making banks rich. I do however have a VISA debit card. Gives me access to all my own money with the advantages of it being "considered" a credit card. Basically lets me gamble to my hearts content.... :)

Moving on, I have a story about a bookmaker, not so much the tabs, as I don't use them.
I occassionly see opportunities with trading, by backing something at fixed odds on the books and immediately laying off on BF for a straight out profit. Well did my eyes light up one day when Reid was offering $7 for a horse that was already into $3 on BF. A couple of hundred on the nose, laid it off at an average of $3.40, and watched it drop to $2.5 with the bookie.
A big smile on my face, until the phone call came telling me that they had cancelled my bet because they had offered the wrong odds. But they were prepared to take my bet at odds of $2.7, which was doing me a favor apparantly... So after a little arguing with them (and an ear out to the race that had just jumped, hearing my horse had missed the kick), I turned them down and let it ride.
The horse lost the race, and I won a couple of hundred dollars. But every time I see good odds now I am very tentative and generally miss alot due to fear of it later being rejected.

As far as the argument about betting with the tabs. I would personally get more satisfaction being able to make a profit out of the tabs, as it is so much harder. But I am not in this for personal satisfaction. I am in this for money. Simple fact is, the only reason I am in front now is because I choose not to bet with the tabs...

I am a regular "poster" on AFL and gambling forums but continuing the early posts on this thread I have a " hard luck " story in regard to TABs


Probably 10 years ago I was living in Tassie and at Saturday races at elwick ( when they were still on saturdays ) and had a couple of early collects.. a mate of a mate come up and told me that their horse was running in Adelaide and that they were confident. When at Tab window collecting early winners I placed a $20 e/w bet on their horse , which was called "Minegold" from memory.

About 20 mins later the TAB went down and was to remain down for majority of day... U guessed it.. Minegold won in adelaide and Supertab divs showed it as a $56 winner s it passed post and I was pumped. I kept betting with bookies as TAB was down and dropped a couple hundred, not that concerned as I had a ticket worth close to $1300 in my pocket to collect when TAB was restored. Imagine my surprise when i was told that my ticket was only worth $250 odd as the horse only paid $9 odd on the TAB as in the case of TAB breakdown they revert to Tasmania pools only not supertab. So I had backed a $56 winner and lost for day, could have been worse, the guy who tipped it put $1500 over bar!!!

At least he got prizemoney

Some posts have been removed. Please note we not accept nasty posts looking for a slanging match. Forum restrictions will follow.

I regret any problems my post has caused for the moderators of this message board. I enjoy and appreciate this forum and would not knowingly violate any of the rules.

As a followup on my original problem, I canceled my account with my unnamed (U.S. based) TAB after they did nothing to resolve my problem with them. I bet U.S. $46,991 in 2005 through them, but they seem indifferent to my departure. I'm glad they're doing so well that my business is but a trival and meaningless matter.

I may be unable to wager on Australian racing for a while,
so I want to thank everyone here for their help and kindness.

Regards,

Glenn Speck
Mustang, Oklahoma, U.S.A.