2022 has been a great experience since I started posting on Twitter. I set out with the goal of posting 100 tweets to try and help people both improve their betting/knowledge and understand some of what happens in the industry. We are at 144…The people I have met and interacted with along the way is what makes it worthwhile. So thank you. I am really happy with the body of work that I have produced and it can be seen more easily on http://www.propunting.co.uk. I think there is something for everyone.
I have actually really struggled writing tweets recently. So many half written ones. Some out of date. It has just been tough to find the time required to do them justice. Also, I have been struggling with the sheer negativity surrounding the industry. It feels like every tweet recently has been about a negative part of the industry. Unfortunately, that is just the industry we are in. There are so many aspects of the industry that can only be described as rancid. Trying to highlight some of those issues has felt like a never ending battle.
The problem, is that the punter, is in essence on an island, trying to fight all the other entities in the industry, who are hugely driven by their own incentives and motives. The bookmakers continue to behave in the way that has become expected of them. Atrociously. The problem is they are overseen by arguably the most incompetent organisation I have ever encountered. The Gambling Commission. An absolute shambles. It is tough to even begin to comprehend how badly the Gambling Commission has let down the ordinary punter over the years. Their incompetence isnt just limited to punters though. Bookmakers have no idea what is going on either. A complete farce.
I expect bookmakers to be ruthless in their pursuit of profit so it isnt a surprise. Regulators being incompetent is nothing new. The sector I have been most disappointed in and it isnt close is the media. Both written and particularly television media. When I started writing these tweets I was well aware that they were all incentivised in a way that wasn’t beneficial to the punter. However, as time goes on the sheer scale of it beggars belief. Self preservation at its finest. Integrity not so much.
I see so many who tip and recommend bets under the pretence of trying to help the ordinary punter. Most are affiliated with a bookmaker in some way. None could make the game pay in their own right through betting. It takes a special kind of person to readily put so many people away. Even worse than that is the whole medias refusal to properly raise the issues that punters face. Don’t rock the boat or bite the hand that feeds. Grow some moral backbone and do the right thing ffs. Call out the behaviours that are rife. Actually help the punter.
The punter (customer) is treated with such disdain it is mind-blowing. You can see that with the attention Richard Hoiles piece on ‘what value is’ this week got. It was good. Lots of back slapping from the likes of Kevin Blake and others in the media. However, it is the most basic of information that a punter should have at their fingertips. That it got so many plaudits shows how poorly served the ordinary punter is.
I will tell a couple of stories that epitomise the media gravy train. Bruce Millington was talking about affordability checks and what an outrage it was. I suggested that it was a strange take given he was editor of the Racing Post for so many years and had played a huge part in where we find ourselves. I was blocked. Only one I know of. If you operate in a world where you are not willing to engage in a conversation why are you even on Twitter. You end up in an echo chamber where everyone tells you how great you are and thinks alike. Punters and Racing suffered hugely under his stewardship.
After five or so tweets, I messaged someone very prominent in the industry, suggesting the content I was going to be putting out, would be of interest and help to his followers. This was someone I had exchanged a DM with previously. No response. I just could not get my head round it at the time. A simple retweet or something similar would have cost them nothing and yet potentially helped those they are meant to be helping. They deliberately choose to not help their followers. A conscious decision.
It always rankled to be honest and rather than put it on a tweet I sent him another message suggesting the 100 pointers tweet would be of help to his followers/customers. His response was that whilst useful it was aimed at a different audience. Too sophisticated apparently. It was done to deliberately try and help the ordinary punter. He also couldn’t be seen to endorse one or two of the points made. One was critical about bookmakers. Heaven forbid.
He also said this which sums it up in a nutshell;
If my followers are serious punters I’ve no doubt they’ll find the thread and learn plenty from it. I hope they do. I just have to look out for my own future first and foremost and sharing threads like that can do absolutely no good for me personally, for all they will help others.’
I just hope that in 2023 those in the media who are involved with betting have a long hard think about what they are trying to achieve in this space. They have an incredible platform where they can have a real influence on positive outcomes for the industry. Use it. With the long awaited White Paper due who knows what 2023 will bring for the industry. If the last 20 years are anything to go by, the punter will be the one who gets the worst of it. Fun times!
ProPunting 