A Professional Punter Calls It Quits - an open letter.

My betting is small beer compared to his, but I agree with every word. I know a small percentage have problems, but to inconvenience and intrude on the vast majority is surely not the way to go about helping them.
 
Thanks for that Simon - I wonder how much the GC costs, - both to the exchequer and the industry - and how that can be feasibly justified?
 
Alan isnt the first punter to knock it on the head and he certainly wont be the last. What a sorry state the whole industry is in. The (betting) world has gone mad.
But, like everything else in life, when you put someone in charge who dont know what they are doing and dont know what they are talking about, it is all gonna end badly.
 
I like and respect Alan, but the harsh truth is no one in government or the betting industry will care - in fact, they will be glad to see the back of him.

Pro punters (rightly) don't pay income tax, so they're no use to the Treasury and they have a negative overall impact on bookmaker profits, gross profits tax revenues and the Levy.

None of them wants a winner.
 
Lets face it lads, the bookmakers have all their customers by the short an curleys as with everything on line you leave a trace and the bookmakers check that to see how good or bad you are at backing horses then they treat you accordingly.
 
Ian_Davies said:
Pro punters (rightly) don't pay income tax, so they're no use to the Treasury and they have a negative overall impact on bookmaker profits, gross profits tax revenues and the Levy.

None of them wants a winner.
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Let's be generous and say Alan P makes £1m per year betting.

If he's spreading his bets between three or four bookmakers he's hitting them for, on average, 250k-330k pa.

Bookies' profits are in the hundreds of millions pa so this is negligible. It makes it all the more gobsmacking that some bookies can restrict accounts when someone just manages to beat the SP on a few occasions.

I'd have thought knowing what he was backing would be worth the hit. They can use that info to go short on his selections.
 
Desert Orchid said:
Let's be generous and say Alan P makes £1m per year betting.

If he's spreading his bets between three or four bookmakers he's hitting them for, on average, 250k-330k pa.

Bookies' profits are in the hundreds of millions pa so this is negligible. It makes it all the more gobsmacking that some bookies can restrict accounts when someone just manages to beat the SP on a few occasions.

I'd have thought knowing what he was backing would be worth the hit. They can use that info to go short on his selections.
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A P has never made anywhere like a million quid a year gambling. He is also an owner so is putting something back into the game
 
Oldtimer said:
A P has never made anywhere like a million quid a year gambling. He is also an owner so is putting something back into the game
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Yes, hence 'let's be generous', since I don't know what he makes. It as to emphasise how pathetic the bookies really are.
 
This thread was also posted to TRF and Alan Potts, being a member there, has replied to say he's returned to betting on-course with king cash

Proper punting that: '1000/120 the 3 horse please'

Shame that these ersatz plastic notes inflicted on us are distinctly unfoldable and unthumbable :)
 
Drone said:
Proper punting that: '1000/120 the 3 horse please'

Shame that these ersatz plastic notes inflicted on us are distinctly unfoldable and unthumbable :)
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Takes me back.

When I was younger and working closer to home I went racing as often as I could but was still betting pretty small money back then (the '80s).

Most bookies were willing to accommodate requests for the fractions, eg if something was 12/1 they were usually willing to accept a request of
"Can I have £100 to 8, please?"

It didn't guarantee a winner but it made me feel better about the bet. :)

As for the new plastic notes, they are an abomination; terrible for wiping your arse too...
 
I'm not defending it, but I think most bookmakers don't want any winning punters at all and wouldn't want to lay a horse to lose so much as a fiver to get their cards marked.

They restrict or close down anyone who backs shortners, never mind winners, the ones that are plcs are under pressure from shareholders to maximise profits and the privately-owned ones are under similar pressure from their proprietors.

Government, BHA, bookies - none of them likes a winner.

It's a sad state of affairs.
 
Never had any problems myself, Reduced to £2.75 with the bookmakers, its getting bets matched that I have problems with, static odds on Betfair are not doing me any favours.
 
Drone said:
This thread was also posted to TRF and Alan Potts, being a member there, has replied to say he's returned to betting on-course with king cash

Proper punting that: '1000/120 the 3 horse please'

Shame that these ersatz plastic notes inflicted on us are distinctly unfoldable and unthumbable :)
Click to expand...
If the return of Drone to TH is all that the upgrade delivers, it will have been worth it.

Hope you are in the pink, chief. (y)
 
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