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BetButler Anniversary

26/1/2015

Happy anniversary BetButler withdrawal delays!

Was just thinking how quiet it had all gone on BetButler, then realised it was about this time in 2014 that slow withdrawals were first posted on The Gambling Times.

Since then BetButler have of course ceased trading, and parent company BetClearer are in liquidation.

Many customers are out of pocket, so what's the latest?

Nothing is the answer. A year after issues were first reported, 6 months BetButler closed, and 4 months since they should've been placed into liquidation and everything is very quiet.

The first delayed withdrawal took 11 days to appear in a customer's account, far beyond the normal reporting of 3 days for card and less for Skrill. It's a red flag to anyone involved in matched betting or advantage play betting when a withdrawal takes that long to hit your account and prompted a lot of savy people to immediately withdraw to avoid getting burnt. Lots of people aren't that aware though and they stayed in, even continued betting and were drawn in by the excuses around payment providers and verification.

How we've got to this position where no one knows what's happening is still a bit of a mystery. Customers of BetButler were essentially sold to Momaco.co via the player database. Momaco.co themselves announced that all player balances would be honoured, but that was the last anyone heard from them. There are reports now doing the rounds that the client database is being touted around other operators, but realistically there is no hope of anyone receiving their funds back now.

So what of BetButler and the director Andy Hosie? BetButler have ceased trading, the parent company is being liquidated (but some smart accounting meant that no customers of BetButler were part of that process even though they held the funds). Andy himself didn't turn up for the BetButler liquidation meeting and the company is still active, of a manner at least, for one thing they're behind on their accounts.

The questions still to be answered, and still being studiously avoided by the Gambling Commission, are was the company trading whilst insolvent, and what form of legal process will be brought against the directors of BetButler? It's inconceivable that the commission don't have some information that would either out the directors as liars, or show they were breaking laws. But still we hear nothing.

No one at this stage realistically expects to get their money back, but everyone deserves some answers as to how this could happen, and as importantly, what's being done to prevent it happening again.

For all the latest on BetButler (however limited the flow of information is now) then head over to The Gambling Times complaints board. It was their most viewed thread in 2014, nearly 100,000 hits. Suggests there's a public interest in answers coming out, but no one with the information seems to want to give it up.

Bet Butler Free Bet

8/12/2014

Don't worry, I'm not about to start promoting Bet Butler.

Bet Butler are well and truely dead in the water, anyone who had money in there when they folded will be lucky to see anything (even pennies) back again.

"Bet Butler Free Bet" actually refers to a couple of search terms that have lead people to the matchedbettingblog.net.

But why would anyone search for that?!

Surely everyone knows they're gone by now?....don't they?

I'm always interested in how people arrive at this site. I know the good people of www.thegamblingtimes.com tweet some of my articles (thanks ito me being a mainstay on their forum!), but the majority comes through from organic searches. The more content you write, the more people will find your site as google can piece the search terms together to find matches.

Previously I'd been amazed by someone searching for (and landing here) with the term "Erotic Bookmaker", a term that conjures up the idea of wagering on who will come first. But I think "Bet Butler Free Bet", when searched for in December 2014, is even stranger.

Putting the term back in google to compare the results yielded something I wasn't expecting though.......there still are lots of pages still referring to getting a £25 risk free bet from BetButler.

These aren't cached legacy pages from years ago, there were actually fresh reviews and posts supporting BetButler being put up whilst huundreds of customers complained about not receiving withdrawals.

As an affiliate you either have to be blind to the industry you're working in or in the pay of BetButler to still be posting some of the articles I've read this week.

By far my favourite of the sites that haven't changed their reviews in respect of BetButler going bust was a glowing report from Bet72.com which I've given a snippet of below.

Bet72 are delighted to announce that we have got together with brokerage firm Bet Butler to give everyone a fantastic free £25 bet

So you could see this as a totally risk free punt on something you fancy or of course you can lock in some guaranteed profit whatever the outcome.

This post (which goes on a lot more) wasn't made at the end of 2013, or even the turn of the year when the slow payment reports really kicked off (see here for the full blow by blow complaint history), no this 'get together' with BetButler happened 20 June 2014. At a time when withdrawals weren't being made, there were six months of complaints and issues reported, and that's when Bet72 decided to hop into bed with BetButler. 2 months later and BetButler closed their doors, just before the Gambling Commission decided they should probably do something.

Bet72 should be pretty ashamed, anyone that followed that article and link would almost certainly have lost their money when BetButler went under. The writing was on the wall long before they got together with BetButler, and they would've known that. Places like The Gambling Times who actively tried to help customers, inform them and help them get their money out had their affiliate accounts closed.

Being a betting and casino affiliate comes with a certain amount of responsibility. I don't push brands I'm not familiar with just because there's a juicy CPA if I get some mugs to sign up. In fact it's the responsibility part that leads me to name check The Gambling Times so often. I don't have the time to devote to reviews, information and offers that they do, and that's why I send people there. I know they'll be looked after and if the worst happens with a bookmaker they'll be there to try and sort it out; as they did with Canbet, Bodugi and BetButler.

Freedom Of Information, Unless it Might make you look bad

20/10/2014

BetButler Freedom of Information Act Request

The Gambling Times lodged a Freedom of Information Act request with the Gambling Commission regarding BetButler.

In news that won't be suprising to anyone who's had dealings with the Gambling Commission, they've declined the request for information.

The reason is a clause that states that if the release could impact on future investigations then they can with hold the information.

You can read the full response from the Gambling Commission over at The Gambling Times, but I've picked out a couple of my favourite bits (with no apology for soundbiting!).

I can confirm that we have been contacted 174 times regarding the slow or non payment of withdrawals from Bet Butler (between 1 January 2014 and 1 October 2014). Please note that this figure is the number of enquiries, not the number of individuals who have contacted us (i.e. some individuals may have made a number of enquiries during this period).

Only 174 enquiries about BetButler? That seems incredibly low and suggests that either a lot of people didn't contact the Gambling Commission, or that the BetButler customer base was tiny. Can you imagine how many people would've been on to the regulator if Bet365 had gone rogue like this?

(Please confirm.....)All details held on the manner in which BetButler operated it's business, notably how accounts were set up, whether pseudo accounts were used to channel client funds to bookmakers, and whether any official bookmaker accounts were held by BetButler
With regards to this question, we will neither confirm nor deny whether we hold information falling within the description specified in your request.

You may recall my story previously about how BetButler operated their accounts, and how they used other people to place the bets as bookmakers wouldn't let them hold company accounts with them. Now that story was based on the information provided by an ex BetButler employee, but the fact that the Gambling Commission won't even comment on the holding of that information would seem to add weight to it.

Disclosing detailed information about investigations will reveal methodologies and approaches which may help others avoid detection in future.

Are these the same methodologies that worked so perfectly in preventing customers from losing money at Canbet, Bodugi and BetButler on the Gambling Commission's watch, and all in less than a year?

The Gambling Commission had the authority and the information to investigate BetButler over a period of 9 months. The volume of complaints and queries should've warrented that, and some action to protect customers, maybe stopping BetButler taking new customers until they could prove they were capable of servicing the existing ones?

Instead, what happened was the Gambling Commission did nothing, and BetButler closed it's own doors. They weren't pushed, they jumped.

Bet Butler had ceased trading before the revocation of their licence on 18 September 2014

With the Gambling Commission seemingly unwilling to provide any additional information all that's left for customers that have been left out of pocket is to see how well in the last months BetButler hid any assets from the Gambling Commission and the liquidator that has now been appointed. Selling the client database to Momaco.co was probably a very good start in that regard.

What Do The Gambling Regulation Changes Actually Entail?

25/9/2014

The changes to gambling regulation in the UK, coming into effect from 1 October 2014, have already started having an impact.

Sites have been shutting their doors to UK customers pretty consistantly recently; Pinnacle, SBO and Sportsbook.com.au to name but a few.

I understand that the additional taxation is also playing a part, but what are the actual regulatory changes that have bookmakers leaving this green and pleasant land?

You probably haven't been interested enough in the process of regulation change, or the associated changes in the gambling act, to have looked in depth at the consultation documents. Honestly, nor had I. Until it started hitting my wallet and ability to make money from Matched Betting. First things first, matched betting and advantage play is still alive and well. There are still plenty of sites offering plenty of bonuses that can be played off against each other to profit from. But something has changed.

I took a look at the Gambling Commission website to see what I could find out on about the reg changes, when they'd be coming into effect, and what impact they might have on me, a customer (not a punter, that makes me sound like a mug!).

There were a number of consultations as part of the process to make the changes that will be coming into force. They gave operators the right to reply and state why they would recommend another course of action, or why the Gambling Commission had it wrong.

If you want to read all the consultations and the results then they are available in three parts covering the following the subjects: part 1 relating to complaints and disputes and information requirements, part 2 protection of customer funds and part 3 notification of suspicious activity.

It's fair to say that overall these documents are fairly dry. The major change is around the need for all operators who are taking UK customers to apply for a licence from the Gambling Commission. There are, however, a few interesting points and ommissions in the second consultation document concerning protection of customer funds, particularly relevant given the issues the Gambling Commission have had this year with Canbet, Bodugi and BetButler.

Customer reaction to the situations, has demonstrated that there is a significant gap between the level of protection that customers and commentators assume they might receive (and which they assume regulators would have required) and the actual level of protection afforded.

This is the first time I've seen the Gambling Commission admit that a fundamental part of what the customer expects them to do is regulate the bookmakers and casinos in such a way as to offer customers some protection. Nice of them to catch up with the idea that regardless of what they do, they need to make it clear to all customers (not just the people that have read the reports on BetButler here and on The Gambling Times) what protection they offer.

Gamblers may have more appetite for risk.

Customers may not wish to bear the increased costs of protection and would rather assess companies individually.

However, such assessment is only possible if consumers are given sufficient, meaningful information.

Gamblers may have more appetite for risk, but that is in so much as the bets they place, not that the company might at any moment fold. Actually, that's probably not entirely fair, a professional gambler will weigh up the risk of using a bookmaker against the potential reward. The average man on the street won't be doing that. If a bookmaker is regulated by the Gambling Commission it implies that they are reputable and being watched with a beedy eye. Something that clearly hasn't been the case recently.

Worth also picking out from that statement is that customers require information to be able to make informed choices. I'm a big fan of The Rise and Fall of Canbet an article which tracked the withdrawal issues against the bonuses being offered in the run up to the company folding. Sharing the information on withdrawals and complaints allowed the majority of TGT customers to get out of Canbet without getting burnt. Anyone who was still in was aware of the risks. Again, the man on the street isn't aware.

Finally on this point, if the Gambling Commission is so keen on the sharing of information, then why do freedom of information act (FOIA) requests get declined? Information on how they have dealt with a failing bookmaker, what time lines are involved and how they respond to complaints would be incredibly useful information for both professional and mug punters.

What is important is that the regulator takes all appropriate actions to mitigate the risks to consumer funds and/or to ensure that the consumer makes informed choices about the risks they are comfortable with.

Sounds like the bare minimum they should be doing. So what are the practical changes that will be made to protect customers?

Remote gambling operators must segregate customer funds into a separatebank account.

Visible and meaningful disclosure to customers to ensure that customers are not given false assurances about the level of risk which remains in the event of insolvency.

Let's be clear here, separation of client funds is not a guarantee that if they go under your funds are protected. All it means is that a bookmaker or casino would need to make a consious decision to dip into client funds instead of using their day to day operations account. Information on separation of client funds is already found in the T&Cs of all UK regulated operators, although you have to trawl through a lot of information to get to it.

The change is that from 1 October all customer funds will need to be held in segregated accounts, and that on first deposit (or after any change in the T&Cs related to segregation) there will be a message stating what level of protection client funds have in the event of insolvency. This could of course range from no protection, to a full trust situation where all funds would be protected (doubt many bookies will go for that given the additional cost of administrating such a system).

Introduce a formal mechanism for reporting on the level of customer funds and where possible introduce an element of external verification of those reports where appropriate.

This is essentially the way the Gambling Commission will regulate to protect customers (though it doesn't come into effect until January 2015 at the earliest). The reporting required from the operators to the Gambling Commission will cover the disclosure of client funds held and notice of any key events that might impact on the client account.

Overall it seems the Gambling Commission are moving in the right direction with their regulation of the industry. It's still what you'd describe as light touch, but should limit the instances of the Canbets and BetButlers being left alone and able to run off with customer funds.

One final nugget from the consultations. The Gambling Commission propose.......

.......a new ordinary code provision to make explicit our expectation that operators work with us in an open and cooperative manner

That's right, they're going to put down in writing that operators must deal with them in an open and cooperative manner. Makes you wonder what BetButler (although we may already know!) were doing if this needs to be written down. The response from the consultation on this was mixed. Some operators said it didn't need to be written down, it was already implied and they were doing it, but........

Some respondents felt that the fact such a requirement was not already in was a serious flaw

So there you have it, that's the summary of the changes. Nothing too shocking, which leads me to believe that actually it's the point of consumption tax coming at the end of the year that's really driving bookmakers and casinos away from the UK market.

You're also still not going to get that much assistance from the Gambling Commission so if you want to protect yourself, share information on The Gambling TImes about your withdrawal experience, what bonuses are being offered and what the customer serivce is like. All three are potential flags for there being an issue with the operator, but we won't know unless we share.

The Gambling Commission Won't Help you With BetButler!

5/9/2014

Do you expect some help from the regulator if something goes wrong with an operator on their watch?

Of course you do. Unfortunately if that operator is BetButler and the regulator is the Gambling Commission then you are straight out of luck.

The Gambling Commission have come right out and said it, if you have money in BetButler then you are on your own.

Basically it's not our problem, it's yours.

The latest statement from the Gambling Commission regarding BetButler has been posted on The Gambling Times forum again. Appears they still haven't made a public declaration, but instead are communicating through TGT, which I find odd in the extreme. If you've suspended the licence for good reason, and there are customers still awaiting withdrawals, then a bit of communication wouldn't go a miss.

The full statement from the Gambling Commission:

The Gambling Commission is carrying out a review of BetButler's operating licence under section 116 of the Gambling Act 2005. On Monday 1 September we suspended BetButler’s licence because we were concerned about its continuing suitability to provide gambling facilities.

Whilst we are aware of the difficulties that BetButler customers are experiencing in withdrawing money from accounts - and appreciate the distress this may be causing - the Commission is unable to help customers obtain any money they may be owed by Betbutler.

However, we have noted customer concerns in the context of the ongoing licence review.

We also know that customers are finding it difficult to communicate with Betbutler; we have drawn that to the operator's attention.

So the Gambling Commission understand the distress of the customer, but is unable to help. Bit of a kick for people with money in there. With no information available are people supposed to bring their own costly legal proceedings against BetButler in the hope there is some value left in the assets of the company? I've no idea, and it seems the Gambling Commission aren't going to help.

For those not in the know, section 116 of the Gambling Act 2005 pertains to an operator (in this case BetButler) being unable to fullfil the obligations of it's licence. In this case it seems the missed obligation is actually paying customers.

You probably don't recall, or more likely won't have read, one of my earliest blog posts (back in 2013) which included reference to me using BetButler. At the time the bonus was good and there was no indication that things were going to go sour. If you were just in it for the matched betting then in all likelihood you'd have got in and out and won't have lost out now they've gone bust. That can actually be born out by the complaints page of The Gambling Times where there are few premium members commenting and it's generally Joe Public who have found the site as it's pretty much the first thing that comes up on a google search of BetButler.

Once again being a smart punter has kept me safe while the regular person on the street, who is more in need of the support of the regulator, will be left out of pocket.

Knowledge is everything in this game. Give a little and get a lot in return by joining a forum, contributing and posting information on important things like Payout Times.

Has the Bookmaker Exodus Begun?

4/9/2014

Changes to UK gambling regulations means that from October if you a bookmaker or casino wants to take bets from a UK based customer, they need to be regulated by the Gambling Commission.

This is just the starter of a wider change involving point of consumption taxation which will come into effect in December and impact the betting industry as a whole.

After months of speculation as to whether this would make a difference to the sites available to UK customers it seems we're getting our answers as a number of sites have announced they are closing to UK traffic, and there are probably more on the way.

So what does this mean for matched betting and advantage play betting? Well it's not great, we value the choice of more not less bookmakers, but this is not the end of the road for matched betting, far from it.

What is it that's scaring these bookmakers and casinos away from the UK market? There are two main factors, and increase in tax on betting companies, and changes to the way operators will be regulated.

In terms of regulation, the Gambling Commission (all be it backed by changes to the gambling act 2005) requiring all bookmakers and casinos to have a UK licence if they're taking UK customers. These changes are for the protection of customers in the UK; but given how the Commission have overseen the demise just this year of Canbet, Bodugi and BetButler it seems that they might not be offering all they claim in terms of protection.

In addition there are taxation consequences of taking UK customers that had previously been avoided by basing a the bookmaker offshore. The so called point of consumption tax will impact many offshore companies, but they're going after the bookmakers and casinos first, probably easier than taking on google or amazon! Details of the tax change are on the HMRC website, but they're too dry for this post!

On the subject of licencing, governance, regulation and why these changes are being made, in their own words the Commission have said:

The amendments (Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act)) are expected to come into force on 1 October 2014. Offshore gambling operators – currently regulated overseas but transacting with consumers in Britain – wishing to continue to provide services in Britain beyond this date have until midnight (Greenwich Mean Time) on 16 September to make an application and pay a fee to ensure their business is not impacted. Licence applications must be made through the Commission’s website.

The Act will ensure that all remote gambling operators offering services to consumers in Britain are subject to consistent regulation and will bring the 85% of the remote gambling market in Britain currently regulated overseas within the Commission’s remit. This means that the Commission will be better placed to protect players and to respond to and advise the government on emerging player protection and consumer risks and issues.

85% of operators working in the UK don't have UK regulation. That means the Commission, which appears unable to cope with the level of regulation and support it must currently provide for that 15%, is potentially biting off more than it can chew, or limiting the market for matched betting anyway!

I've recently written about the death of matched betting, but there's always another offer that comes along and whilst there might not be as much low hanging fruit, there is certainly still money to be made.

In terms of the sites that closing, yesterday 12Bet, a very useful and solid site with some excellent asian handicap betting, announced they would stop taking UK customers from 30 September 2014. Whilst some closures were expected, I don't think many people predicted that one of the ones to leave the UK market would be the principal sponsor of Hull City FC!

12Bet sign up bonus £190

Sign up to 12Bet before 30 September 2014 and recieve a 20% bonus up to £190 on your first deposit.

Any 'live' bets will be honoured if they settle in October, but no further bets can be made.

In terms of casinos we've had Winner confirm they are sticking with the UK market, and Trapezia Palace drop out, all be it with a statement saying they are taking stock and may return shortly. On the subject of casinos, 12Bet are actually keeping theirs open for UK customers, which I presume tells you everything you need to know about the edge casino games have compared to sports betting.

32Red no deposit bonus

If you're still after a casino fix, 32Red will remain open to UK customers. As it's the most decorated casino in online history, they're also a pretty safe bet for your gaming. And there's a £10 no deposit bonus to get you started.

Next up SBO bet have closed their doors to new UK accounts, an existing account holders will be forced out by 15 September 2014. Quite a blow losing SBO as they weren't affraid of taking the large bets and a great site to dutch results from.

Pinnacle Sports bonus

Thankfully _ Pinnacle have confirmed they are sticking around in the UK market for now and they're the best anyway.

Only time will tell whether more bookmakers will follow and close to UK customers, but hopefully the major players will remain. After all, how many times have you actually placed a bet with 12Bet? If they had sufficient UK customers in the first place they would've stayed open.

The primary concern for matched betting and advantage play is the variety of sites you need to keep the bets flowing and the income coming in. With less sites at your disposal there's less cash for new starters, but it also makes gubbing an even bigger issue as you can't afford to lose sites.

If the net is indeed closing in the next couple of weeks and months, there's never been a better time to get through as many sign up bonuses as you can for casinos and bookmakers.

I'll post again when there's some interesting movement, but to get all the latest information you're best joining The Gambling Times and their twitter feed @TGT_Official. I do this as and when, they do it all the time.

138.com £138 Bonus

2/9/2014

138.com Sign Up Bonus

138.com are a solid bookmaker.

They used to do Asian style handicap betting, but now they're a traditional European style bookmaker, but they're none the worse for that.

Good customer service, quick withdrawals and decent odds and markets make them a very useful account to hold.

138 are also the official club sponsor for Watford FC and the betting partner for Newcastle Utd, which means there are are always plenty of offers and bonuses on their matches.

Exclusive to The Gambling Times there's now a £138 sign up bonus available, instead of the standard £50.

Along with that, you can also get a £38 reload bonus when you're done matched betting your way through the sign up bonus. That's £176 of bonuses, which only Bet365 and their £200 sign up bonus can really match.

You can't get this bonus direct from 138.com, you need to sign up through this terms and conditions page on The Gambling Times and then contact live chat (who are always very quick and helpful) with the bonus codes.

UK Gambling Commission Suspend BetButler's Licence

2/9/2014

BetButler is bust, and it's at this point that the Gambling Commission swing into action.

They have decided to suspend (not revoke) the BetButler licence because they have some concerns about the way the company is being run.

Well no shit, there are quite a few people with concerns about how BetButler is run, and they've not exactly been shy about making it known to the Commission either.

Still, better late than never. Or actually would a better expression be, after the horse has bolted?

The full statement from the Gambling Commission, as provided to The Gambling Times.

The Gambling Commission has decided to suspend Operating Licence No 025718-R-307661-009 (Bet Butler Ltd) because we are concerned about the licensee’s suitability to carry on the licensed activities. The review of this operating licence continues and we will not be making any further comment at this stage.

Worth noting that as of today that statement still wasn't officially released, and it's not shown on the Gambling Commission twitter feed or homepage.

Where this leaves BetButler, or it's parent company BetClearer, is (sorry) unclear at the moment. Without the licence they can't open up again, and it must be a less appealing company to purchase as well. Seems that the classic Commission line of striking a balance between letting a company continue to allow for customers to be paid and regulating to protect customers has once again not been struck correctly.

Word is that the licence was suspended because of a lack of staffing at BetButler, and that a further source has confirmed many BetButler staff were not paid in August. The BetButler twitter feed (@thebetbutler) suggests there was a swiftness to the closure that wasn't part of the planning. After all, who tweets about horse racing in the morning, if you're planning to close up in the afternoon?!

This afternoon BetButler customers who had been contacting Finance Officer Chris Norman directly in the hope of getting their withdrawals paid at least received a communication. Unfortunately it referred the customers back to the BetButler,com and to keep checking in there for news.

As ever, the place to be for BetButler news (and if you have any fight left in you for getting your money back) is The Gambling Times forum. Free to register and discuss BetButler, premium membership is only required for sports betting and casino sections of the forum.

The Gambling Commission Don't Believe in Freedom of Information

1/9/2014

As the news of BetButler closing slowly spreads accross the internet (doing it on a Friday evening was a good shout on their part), attention will once again turn to The Gambling Commission.

The UK Gambling Commission are supposed to regulate the betting industry and protect customers.

In the space of 2014 alone we've seen Canbet, Bodugi and now BetButler go under, so maybe it's not working too well.

What many people see as the problem with the Commission is that punters and customers understand the issues a company is having way in advance of the Commission themselves.

We see the slowing of withdrawals, the increase in bonuses and the lack of customer service first hand. Complaints are made, twitter feeds are bombarded, and still the Commission seems unable or unwilling to act to protect us.

If you do make a complaint to the Commission you tend to get a stock response about using the operator's complaint procedure, which is of course rediculous as if the operator had resolved the complaint you wouldn't need to contact the Commission!

One thing we've seen a bit more of recently is requests under the freedom of information act. These requests should gain you access to more useful details, details that might protect your funds from dodgy bookmakers, but they are invariably declined on the basis of not being in the public interest, or that they would jeopordise ongoing investigation.

We've seen a few declined requests with regards BetButler, the latest of which are shown below.

In favour of disclosure There is a legitimate public interest in promoting the accountability and transparency of public authorities. There is also an interest in highlighting instances of non-compliance within the industry in order to promote compliance from other operators.A large number of people have been affected by delays in Bet Butlermaking payments. There is also an interest in the public understanding how the Commission investigates matters of non-compliance and that if there are any failings in this process that these are exposed.

In favour of maintaining the exemption The information requested is in relation to a very specific case so disclosure would not be of general public interest. It is of interest to thosedirectly affected by the current situation. Disclosure is likely to prejudice the Commission’sability to investigate such matters in the future if the bodies it regulates feel they cannot be candid with it regarding its regulatory investigations. This is not in the public interest as it would have a negative impact upon our ability to carry out ourstatutory functions. The case is still currently ongoing and disclosure would prejudice the Commission’s ability to engage with thisoperator.

Weighing the balance Having considered the balance of the public interest, the Commission is of the view that disclosing this level of detail would be likely to negatively impact on the openness the Commission expects from operators. The balance of the public interest lies in operators being encouraged to make timely and frank submissions to the Commission when incidents occur to allow the Commission to take appropriate steps in a timely manner.

So in summary;

- The Commission make a nod to the idea that there may be failings in their non-compliance invetigation processes, but are unwilling to release details of their processes.

- If the Commission released information then companies might not want to release information to them in future, even though they have to as part of their licence.

- The Commission will continue to rely on operators making timely and frank submissions off their own back, even though that would be commerical suicide for them.

And this is the same Commission that wants all betting operators that take UK customers to be UK regulated to ensure that the we, the punters, are protected. That has been written into law and will take effect in October of this year.

Well all the evidence suggests that the Commission isn't going to protect you, so what can you do to protect yourself?

Read the Rise and Fall of Canbet, an excellent article on the failings of another UK Regulated bookmaker that went bust earlier in the year. It should help you pick out some of the signs of a bookmaker in trouble.

Use the Payout Times reports, and post your own when you know them.

If you're a casual punter, go with one of the big sites like Bet365. If you're going for matched betting, get in and out of the smaller books as quickly as possible.

Never gamble with money you can't afford to lose. It's rule number 1. You might not think a bookmaker can go under, but they can and do and will continue to do so.

The Death of Matched Betting

28/8/2014

The Death of Matched Betting is a topic that comes up quite frequently.

And the more often it comes up, the more likely you are to believe it.

Thankfully, and to paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of the death of matched betting are greatly exaggerated.

There is still plenty of money to be made by the man, or woman, on the street, and nothing to stop you getting started right now.

I've not been matched betting for very long, about a year, year and a half all told. In that time I've supplemented my income in a way that I wouldn't have been able to in any other way.

As an avid reader and fan of The Gambling Times I've been in awe of the stories of the 'good old days', where online bookmakers and casinos were a licence to print money. It would appear, on the face of it, that those days are now consigned to the past...........but are they really?

The old warhorses might have some issues keeping up with their former rates of return, but there are a number of factors in that. Sure there might be a few less reloads and offers around, but that's as much to do with their accounts being gubbed over a number of years as there being a dearth of offers.

Of course there are changes to UK Gambling Commission regulation coming at the end of the year, and that will require all bookmakers and casinos accepting UK customers to also be UK regulated. Already Trapezia Palace have closed their doors to UK customers, and others may as well if they don't believe there's sufficient benefit in signing up for UK regulation. The majority of sites will remain in the UK market as it's so profitable, but just in case there's never been a better time to sign up to bookmakers and casinos and take advantage of their bonus offers.

However, a quick scan of the Diary pages on TGT show that now and old users are still turning over decent sums of money and each run down confirms there is no shortage of offers to go around.

Don't forget that the majority of the people reporting the death of matched betting aren't really talking about matched betting either, they're more interested in advantage play betting as they've got through the hundreds of bookmaker sign up offers and are looking for value elsewhere.

In short, matched betting is alive and well. I'd be delighted to be in a position where I had could start from scratch again and go through all of the bookmaker sign up offers, bonuses and reloads. There's plenty of money to be made.

As for advantage play? Well given there are people still making a living at it, and a decent living at that, then I think we can agree that although the market has changed in the last 10 years, it's certainly not without it's; arbs, sharbs, risk free bets, bonuses and value bets now.

A consistant gambling income is still achievable, but you have to put some effort in to achieve it, it's not going to fall into your lap. In the last week alone I've had reloads, free spins, value bets and risk free bets from BGO, BetFair, William Hill, Bet365, Hippodrome, Tote Sport and a half dozen others.

Seek and yee shall find.