They are all as bad as each other and as unscrupulous as each other. Gone are the days when a handshake sealed the bet and if the vast majority cant stop you getting a bet on, they will try all sorts to not pay you out. Having spent most of my working life in the industry, i cant think of anything worse than working for a "bookmaker" now.
Here is just one tale to show you what you are up against these days.
I had a bet one teatime and i was watching the prices the following morning watching it tumbling in price. As it was dropping, a few other prices were being pushed out. The horse just below mine was 12/1 and 14/1 with EVERY firm bar one. They were 11's. As i was sat watching, the 11/1 suddenly dropped to 9/1. And it was no more than 20 seconds later that the horse came thru as a non runner. So i knew exactly what they had done and i was fuming. They were now able to apply a 10p rule 4 instead of nothing because they, like the other firms at the time, were waiving 5p rule 4's.
Now i hadnt bet with them, i never have done, i just dont rate them and they are of no use to me. But i was fuming. So i got in touch with their "rep" on twitter and told him what i had seen and what they had done. And what a load of shite he came out with. He tried to tell me that a "face", a "shrewdie", who they were wary of, had come on for a big bet on it and they cut it straight away from 11's to 9's. So i told him that this bloke cant be that shrewd because he has (supposedly) taken your 11/1 when EVERY other firm is 12's and 14's. And the timing of it when i checked on their price cut on oddschecker was one minute AFTER the horse had been withdrawn. So not only had this "face", this "shrewdie" taken at least one point under the odds and with some firms three points under, he had also backed a horse when it was already a non runner. He must have thought we are all as daft as him.
So i told him he was talking absolute nonsense and that from now on i would be watching their prices closely when any non runners were announced.
I am not gonna name the firm on here for a couple of reasons. The first is that i'm only 99.999999% certain that is what they had done. Secondly, i have no doubt that it has been done by other firms. And third, i am 100% certain about it nearly happening with another firm. I know this for a fact because i was sat next to this trading manager this day when he suggested to me that we cut a horse from 10's to 8's when it came thru as a non runner. I just gave him a look and he didnt bother.
The two people involved are still in the game and as soon as i see them on telly i just think "arsehole". Thankfully, i have never had the sound on my tv switched on while watching racing for about 5 or 6 years now. I have no wish or desire to listen to any of them.
What a horrible game it is now. Totally unrecognisable from the days of "proper" bookmakers.
Have a good day all.
