If you've had a quick scan of Twitter in the last few days you'll have, no doubt, seen a fair bit about on course bookmakers, enhanced place terms online, etc and how the ring won't survive without offering all these sparkly incentives. It's not that on course bookmakers are not aware of these incentives, it's not some masochistic tendency to destroy the ring why you won't get them on course, I understand why punters bring this up, I understand why they are asking for it and here is why it is not possible.
If on course bookmakers offered enhanced place terms, BOG, etc then they would have to restrict winning punters. That's it. Full stop. Actually, not quite full stop. We could also offer them if we set up a roulette wheel (with obligatory double zero) at the back of the joint as well.
As a punter you only get online incentives if, long term, you lose. That's it. Full stop.
If you win online, or even if you lose but beat the SP enough, the following will happen, more or less in chronological order;
Incentives will be removed
You will only be able to bet at SP
Your stake will be restricted so you can only win a couple of quid. Literally a couple of quid.
On course bookmakers, as Simon Nott eloquently pointed out, do not have a million algorithms or logarithms available to them to restrict winning punters and, even if they did, they wouldn't anyway. We do, however, occasionally have a bit of rhythm if the right tune comes over the tannoy. So, once we accept that, we have to accept that on course bookmakers cannot routinely offer enhanced place terms, BOG etc.
So, if you're a losing punter and the following applies then you should bet online. There you go, I've said it and I'll say it again. If you're a losing punter and the following applies then you should bet online.
You still have access to incentives
The amount you want to stake falls within the limits of those incentives
You are betting on an event that offers these incentives - to put that in context I don't think we have bet at a meeting where online books were offering enhanced place terms since the Scottish Grand National but I am happy to be corrected.
The price of the horse, online, is sufficiently attractive to mean that the additional places offer better value than fewer places in the ring but the probability of a better price.
Online and on course are becoming more and more polarised in their offering and are more and more catering to 2 distinctly different types of betting requirements. I am biased but in my opinion here is why, if you are on course, you should consider betting with an on course bookmaker.
You do not have access to incentives online or you are restricted to SP and/or by stake size.
You want to place a bet in excess of what you will be permitted online, either with or without incentives.
The meeting you are attending, or the race you are betting on, does not offer incentives online.
You are prepared to walk around the ring to compare prices as, in my opinion, you are likely to beat the online SP with a bookmaker in the ring. Not always, but often- particularly at the top of the market.
You want the surety of being paid out without being asked for bank statements, ID, selfies, examination of credits paid into your bank account, payslips, P60s etc.
You appreciate a good service.
So there you have it. No right or wrong. Just pros and cons of betting online or on course. Choose the path which suits the particular bet you are having at that particular time. Sometimes that will be online, sometimes it will be on course, but it will never be exclusively one or the other.
1) Carvalhal to every other bloke with a passing interest in football ensured we stood it for the max. Led all. Worst possible start.
2) 3 losers out of 7 in books that are so synonymous with us now we're considering applying for a copyright on "Bingo Book". We got them all beaten and had a great result on smashed up jolly, Lunario enhanced by avoiding the lop sided place liabilities as well and we got our first race loss back, plus a bit more.
3) Boring book with fairly negligible amounts of liability and profit on various horses and it was the most negligible of the lot, Reigning Profit, which meant we barely moved in either the profit or loss direction.
4) We'll beat it at Hamilton at some point. But it wasn't here. Jordan Electrics was the nightmare result of the night. Enough noise to power a nuclear reactor. Payout queue that stretched to Cumbernauld. We were behind getting expenses again.
5) Maso Bastie the surprising bogey here and it was never going. An unspectacular win on BringBackMemories meant we had expenses but no more.
6) And we came oh so close to losing on a rag in the last. Reveal looked like another led all job before being snagged by the tiniest of margins by the jolly, Humble Spark, which gave us another win in the "unspectacular" category.
Overall a small win after expenses but getting out on the last couple meant at least the journey home was bearable rather than miserable.
Another Ladies Day next up for us, this time Musselburgh before the most important event of the year the following week- the annual Bonzai (yes I know it's not a real word) Golfing Society takes to the fairways, this year with our absolute favourite moustachioed maestro, Mr Pinno, guest starring. Updates to follow.
Until then...
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