Gambling Blog

While we have all seen the headlines about Fabio Capello taking on the poisoned chalice of the England manager’s position, what does it mean?  While there are many hoping that the Italian will be able to bring a little more steel to the England set-up, how have we got to this stage? Why does England have arguably the best domestic league in the world yet the national team has won nothing for years?

As we mentioned in the headline, the England football team have been the bookies best friend since 1966, with not even the slightest sniff of a World Cup or a European Championship, and billions of pounds of gamblers money down the drain (well into the bookmakers back pocket!).  It seems that while we can attract the best players in the world, we are still struggling to bring through domestic talent – much of which is being lost.  So what needs to be done?

In order for you to cash in that England World Cup winning slip for 2010 we need to build a whole new set-up where younger players are given a chance to shine, where money is not everything and where the players play with pride for their country – with nothing else on their minds.  Capello seems as though he could actually be the man to take us to that level, and with his track record it certainly looks as though he has the experience to do it.  So what next?

Don’t place your bets yet as this could well be a long drawn out affair, as the need for change from the very top to the very bottom of the game is evident.  While the UK sporting public are keeping their fingers crossed that Capello can do it, the bookies may just be about to wave good bye to their old friend – the unsuccessful England Football team, well we can but dream!

As we look ahead to next years Beijing Olympics, bookmakers are already rubbing their hands in expectation of bumper pay days along the way.  But have you ever considered betting on the Olympics?

If you are sensible and do your homework the Olympics could well turn out to be one of the best betting coups of next year.  As bookmakers all around the world will be offering odds for each event, the winning teams and other “side bets” there will be a great chance for some arbitration across continents.  The internet is you tool, now let us get your mind in gear!

If a country has a “top” athlete in a race or in a tournament then there is every chance that local support will result in their particular odds being less than maybe they should be – we saw this with the Ricky Hatton fight where the sheer volume of UK bets moved the market.  This is the same for the Olympics and any other sport which crosses nations.  All you need to do is open up accounts in different areas of the world and hedge off each bet to make use of the difference in odds – sound too simple?

Historically you are liable to get more arbitrage situations the wider appeal that the event has, whether this be the World Cup, the Ryder Cup or a Swimming Championships – events which can, and often do, transcend continents.  If you do decide to have looked at arbitrage situations next year you should start to test your theory and plans before then, on other events with world wide appeal.

One word of warning, unless you are very lucky you will not make a fortune on single sports betting arbitrages,  but if you are focused, determined and know what you are doing it is possible to bring in a number of small wins which can soon mount up. 

Last Saturday saw the much awaited world championship boxing match between UK challenger Ricky “Hit Man” Hatton and Floyd “Pretty Boy” Mayweather – a clash of styles, a clash of personalities and in some ways perhaps one of the biggest grudge matches for some time.  But how was the betting effected by the challengers fan base?

There are few sports in the world where common sense and straight thinking can so quickly disappear, with millions of British gamblers taking a punt on the challenger knocking out the “pretty boy”, despite Mayweather being odds on favourite to win.  Hatton’s odds came in to 7/4 in places as the UK betting industry saw unprecedented support for their man and his quest for yet another belt.

The truth is that fan bases can move markets, they can upset the balance of the betting arena and ultimately they can affect the thinking of the teams and people involved.  While Hatton received unbelievable support from his UK followers in the end he was unable to tame the man from the US, and the UK bookmakers all breathed a sigh of relief – with the industry looking at multi-million pound loses in the event of a Hatton win.  Many suggested that Hatton should not have been a 7/4 gamble, with some suggesting odds of nearer 5/1 being fair, but it was the weight of money from the UK which made a difference to the odds.

So why did this particular event receive such attention and have such an impact upon the betting odds?

This fight had a number of elements to it :-

• Hatton and Mayweather were both unbeaten.
• It a was a UK v US fight – prompting a split of loyalty for each country’s man.
• The clash of personalities was enormous, with many hoping to see the “pretty boy” come unstuck.

All of these elements worked together to give the fight an edge which has not been seen in the sport for some time.  The simple weight of money from gamblers saw “false” pricing compared to views in the cold light of day, but that did not stop the phenomenal support for the “Hit man” who did his followers proud, even in defeat.

While there is no industry or business in the world which has not had to move with the times, the betting industry and more specifically the bookmaking shops of old were some of the last bastions of the British gambling industry.  Even now there are still many who would prefer to sit or stand in a smoke filled room watching horse races with their friends (well at least prior to the UK smoking ban!).  But what was it about the olden days which so many people enjoyed?

Even though the number of gamblers in the UK has mushroomed over the last decade, due in the main to online gambling sites, there are many who still remember the “good old days” when a trip to the bookies was a full day event, and a place where woman were few and far between – perhaps seen by many as the last of the “gentlemen’s” clubs!

The banter and the camaraderie was excellent, with friend and foe pitting their wits against each other to see who came out on top.  Side bets were common and everyone seemed to know the bookmaker by their first name – it was relaxing, it was fun, but deep down it was a cauldron of competition of egos, where the winner took all!

Since the online industry took off we have seen bookmaking chains revamp their whole set-up bringing it into the new millennium.  Gone are the smoky corners to be replaced by fruit machines, automatic betting machines and even many a lady seen having a flutter.  The days old days have well and truely gone, the new environment is spotless, spacious and air conditioned. 

Are the old boys thankful of the changes? Of course not, they miss their little clubs, the meet with their friends, but business moves on and changes have been a plenty.