I agree with your sentiments XPT and if this were a 'public' forum in the true meaning of the word, those sentiments and your argument would have legs.
However, any intelligent member here who has been around the racing game for awhile and has gained a fair insight into how the industry operates [and you seem to meet all three criteria], should also know this is a commercial forum with commercial interests to protect. Altruism in the racing industry, unless it is self-serving, is just as rare in this industry as in any other, which includes the operation and maintenance of a 'public' Racing Forum.

These forums can be found for any number of other industries, to cater for and profit from, enthusiast groups from Computer gaming to Pop culture and I for one, have no problem with that and am a member of several covering various interests. This site and other similar clones like it all over the world, are first and foremost a strictly commercial venture endeavoring to protect it's commercial interests on the one hand and also juggle member 'forum' perceptions on the other to remain viable [not easy]. In this case those interests rely on maintaining the status quo as far as the present Racing Industry make-up is concerned, which naturally excludes Betfair for obvious reasons, even to blind Freddy.

I think even though you have the moral high ground here [which I and probably management too, sympathize with], you are being very naive. The vested interests here, naturally do not support Betfair because it's commercial connections and advertisers have a lot to lose with it's introduction. I think you are trying to put management between a rock and a hard place and you should realize that is a silly exercise that can only lead to one predictable result [odds-on], failure.

All the best, Crash

PS. I will not be in the the least surprised [nor particularly offended], to find this whole thread removed at some time today:-)