Betting Clever With Pete & Josh. Social Media Tipster Danger & The Rise Of Matchbook - Interview with Ronan McDonagh

01/30/24 • 63 min

(00:00) Introduction
(01:30) Pete and Josh's plans for 2024: slight alterations or major changes?
(03:40) Social Media Affiliates: a murky world with questionable vested interests
(13:10) Social Media Tipsters: BOOM! A bit of fun or predatory?
(17:20) Account Agent: SBC's new free service that helps maintain bookmaker accounts
(23:10) Golf Betting: our second place curse in 2024!
(25:20) Golf Betting Club: SBC's new Premium Service with an excellent in-play edge
(27:10) New Magazine Format: Monthly updates with everything all in one place
(29:25) BetInAsia & Broker Options: Pete's experiences getting the best prices from across the major exchanges
Part 2: An Interview with the Head of Exchange at Matchbook
(31:35) Introducing Ronan McDonagh from Matchbook
(31:50) Recent developments at the Matchbook Exchange: Building products bit-by-bit
(34:40) Matchbook's focus on the 'personal touch' and how they have looked to grow market share
(36:50) Horse Racing: Liquidity, pricing & what the data tells us (& scandalous Industry SPs!)
(41:25) Established players trading on Matchbook: Why big fish are swimming in the Matchbook pond
(45:25) Football (we refuse to call it soccer!); liquidity, secondary markets, growth areas and multiples
(48:27) American Sports: Matchbook's 'bread and butter' and how they compete in the market
(49:28) Golf Betting: Liquidity differentials across tours, popular products and massive bets (on Denny McCarthy!)
(52:45) The Regulatory Environment: AML, SOW & affordability checks and how Matchbook want to balance customer service with their licensing requirements
(57:24) Winners: How Matchbook negotiate with customers individually rather than apply arbitrary commission rates on winning punters' action
(59:50) 150-days on Matchbook commission free for SBC Podcast listeners!

Previous Episode

Golf Betting Club Pre-Event & In-Play Golf Edges

In Episode 68, I welcomed back to the podcast, brothers Duncan and Neil Campbell to talk about their continued ability to make a profit from betting on golf.
Operating together as 'Golf Betting Club', they talk me through how they use their extensive experience, nous and ability to find profitable edges not just from pre-tournament bets but also crucially - in play betting.
It is this unique and often overlooked in play angle - betting during the 4 days of a tournament (or 3 for Liv Golf) that sets them apart from many other golf punters and tipsters and they share plenty of insight into how exactly they use it to turn a profit.
We also get into the operation of their successful service, from tipping late into strong markets on a Wednesday, betting with exchanges and using and settling to fair odds and terms that everyone can obtain at scalable stakes.
Neil and Duncan also outline their take on the changes in the golf world at the moment following Jon Rahm's move to Liv golf and why all this uncertainty can ultimately be a long-term positive from a betting perspective.
(00:00) Introducing the Golf Betting Club
(01:55) About Duncan & Neil - their dynamic, how they balance betting & tipping with other work and balancing work and life with a time consuming business
(04:48) Watching tournaments to find value and keep abreast of player performance
(07:54) Getting on, exchanges and the challenges of backing value once you have found it
(08:40) Place terms, the timing of bets and balancing value with attainability for members
(11:10) Tipsters betting on Mondays and how GBC's approach is different with 'Best', 'Tracked' and 'Minimum' prices all provided for their subscribers
(13:30) Betting in-play and why the Campbells often prefer it over pre-tournament action
(14:39) Exotic markets, 3-balls and the edges available outside of the core markets
(15:53) How player profiling can help with in-play betting, especially for those players consistently disrespected by the markets
(22:47) Reflecting on performance, planned improvements and changes in the golf betting markets
(24:35) LIV, The PGA Tour, The DPWT and how the politics of golf may well offer up betting opportunities
(28:51) Statistics, popular metrics and how the Campbells have their own approaches to assessing players, especially when they play on different tours
(31:08) Pre-event vs. in play & using the first round to gauge whether a player makes the shortlist
(33:39) Variance, losing runs and dealing with this (as both tipsters and punters)
(35:48) Where to find GBC and how to access their content (much of which is free!)
(37:25) Predictions for 2024 and beyond
Discover More:

Join Golf Betting Club via SBC and save up to £50 on membership https://smartbettingclub.com/golf-betting-club/
Learn more on the Smart Betting Club and how we help winning bettors at https://smartbettingclub.com/
Podcast feedback - contact SBC on twitter @sbcinfo
Read more about each SBC Podcast episode: https://smartbettingclub.com/the-smart-betting-club-podcast/
Watch a video of this interview on the SBC YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/SmartBettingClub

Next Episode

Harry Stewart-Moore: Betting and the Law

I have a very special guest for Episode 70 in the form of lawyer, Harry Stewart-Moore, who is a partner at the law firm Gardner Leader, with a speciality in cases in the betting industry. Harry regularly acts for some of the leading names in the gambling world in both High Court proceedings and before various sports regulatory panels.
With a preference to represent those on the punting side of things including many professional bettors in the past, Harry explained the type of cases he takes on and some of the issues and grievances brought before him.
Many of them do focus on bookmaker behaviour alongside issues created by the industry and its regulator, the Gambling Commission, about whom he has very many concerns as to the way they operate.
We also expand on the black market, its growth and the legal challenges that creates as well as why frictionless affordability checks just wont work and the problems with many bookmakers terms and conditions.
Nothing was off the agenda in this wide-reaching chat and Harry was a fascinating guest, happy to share his thoughts and experiences on all things betting from a legal perspective.
(00:00) Introducing Harry
(01:20) Harry's father's impact on his career choice (& love of gambling!)
(02:44) Gambling and what Harry has learnt working with successful gamblers
(03:45) Cases, clients and the life of a gambling lawyer
(06:30) The increase in punter vs. bookmaker cases and the possible reasons for this
(07:32) The most common disputes that Harry deals with
(09:40) The lengths that bookmakers will go to to avoid paying liabilities
(12:55) The anatomy of a gambling dispute case
(13:47) AML and other regulatory checks and how bookmakers weaponise them
(19:15) The Gambling Commission
(22:50) The National Lottery & the Gambling Commission's attitude towards it
(25:50)The regulatory future in the UK & the growth of the black market
(30:50) Criminal elements' hold on certain gambling jurisdictions
(32:15) The law and how it relates to black market betting
(34:50) The White Paper and Harry's take on 'frictionless' affordability checks
(40:45) How issues with law and regulation keep reappearing
(41:12) The competitive advantage that major firms have when dealing with onerous checks and regulation
(44:00) IBAS, eCogra and how dispute resolution services just aren't working
(46:30) Bookmaker Terms and Conditions and how some are drafted to shaft punters
(48:30) How treating 'skilled' and casino/fixed odds betting differently could well help with regulation and dealing with problem gambling
(55:50) How to access Harry's legal expertise!
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