I think it is really important to understand what the incentives are in play for different parties within this industry. Once you understand those incentives it really helps to understand why people look at things the way they do and behave as they do.
Those incentives are not always as transparent as they should be. Lets start with the Racing Post as an example. You would think charging £4+ a day as the trade paper & £6+ for the betting shop papers would ensure that they have a sustainable business model in their own right.
However, the way they have behaved would suggest their incentives lie elsewhere. What is clear is that they have huge conflicts of interest. On the one hand they have the advertising revenue from the bookmakers and also money from bookmaker affiliate deals. (the more the
customer loses the more they make). On the other hand they have the product they are putting out there for the customers that they are charging £4 a day for. They have the weird situation where the more their customers lose the more money they make.
It is also why they have been so slow/non existent in their criticism of the bookmaking industry for the practices that they have undertaken over the years. It has in essence been a mouthpiece for the bookmakers. An embarrassing situation for racing and all concerned tbh.
Lets look at a lot of the bookmaker representatives/tv presenters. Over the years they have been more than happy to sit there, get paid and sell the story that the bookies have wanted to be told. At no point have any of them dare criticise the practices going on or even remotely question them.
I don’t blame them if they wanted to keep their jobs. However, you forfeit the right to suddenly be some advocate for punters rights as the tide has turned against things like bookmaker restrictions, withdrawal delays, KYC shenanigans, bet delays, etc etc. These were issues and big issues 15/20 years ago. They had a platform then and didn’t use it. Why have their opinions changed now? Because their incentives to do so have. Incentives and behaviours underpin so much in society in general.
As a final example lets look at everyone’s favourite racing personality on Twitter Racing Blogger. On the one hand he has done an amazing job building his brand and followers. I think he is a real positive to racing when he does his interviews and racing related content.
Its nice to see someone try and do something a bit differently, especially in a sport where nepotism and who you know, runs so rampant. However, this is offset by the fact he has these ridiculous affiliate deals with Betbull, which he constantly promotes. He actively encourages his followers to play on the site and unbeknown to them the more money they lose, the more money he makes. If Betbull weren’t making fortunes from it they wouldn’t be doing it. He isn’t promoting Betbull to benefit his followers. Huge conflicts of interest.
These are just three quick examples of incentives in the industry. This topic alone could fill 100 tweets. When someone offers an opinion on something or why they are doing it, question who really benefits and how.
ProPunting 