Category: View From The Ring

Gambling. Who decides what’s affordable?

The big news breaking in the gambling sector, is the United Kingdom Gambling Commission move to establish ‘affordability thresholds’ for customers betting with UK operators. From next may customers will be required to provide evidence of affordability if they with so gamble in excess of state-imposed spending limits, which could be as low as £100 a month!

Remember, folks, this is a rolling check. People’s gambling habits change by the month. Don’t imagine you can prove you’re not a drug dealing peddler by the provision of one bank statement! In the brave new world of regulation EVERYONE is assumed to be a money launderer

I don’t know about you, but this Big Brother approach scares the pants off me. An official in Birmingham instructing how much I spend every month on my hobby? At what stage did their policy advisors decide they should embark on policy more suited to China?

And to make it work will ultimately require linkage between operators. The sharing of your financial data, otherwise known as the ‘single customer view’ mandates operators to ‘pool’ information about their customers. Rival companies being asked to share confidential information with each other on their customers, and their activity. How does that go when you have a good customer, who loses? You’re going to share that with Bet365?

And yet, the major betting companies dutifully sent along their compliance officers to consider such plans, with commission officials. Giving false credence to plans drawn up by 5 year old zealots.

This represents, of course, a precedent for state-controlled spending. It also assumes that gambling presents a special case, as distinct for example to drinking or smoking. Neither which is subject to such intervention. Both of those addictive products considerably more harmful, but no checks because politicians know such moves would be deeply unpopular, and of course both politicians, and anti gambling lobbyists all drink! It’s more about self interest than common sense

Far easier attack gambling when half the population don’t gamble at all. A ready-mix pool of disapproving busy bodies. There’s nothing like the curtain twitching cretinous git, shaking their finger at another, from the anonymity of Twitter, scribing in their underpants. ‘I don’t gamble’ they say. Or the ubiquitous ‘I haven’t had a bet for 3 weeks’ – the stuff of anti gambling BOTS which fester the world wide web, influencing opinions

Gambling operators certainly deserved the rub they had from critics, during the era of fixed odds betting terminals in betting shops. Voracious machines they were. Combine that with voluminous advertising from gambling companies and it wasn’t hard to agree we had crossed the line here. Times have changed however, and I firmly believe the vast majority of gambling companies have cleaned up their act. Responsible gambling messages not only abound, but the message is actually evidencing results.

Affordability checks won’t save a single individual from problem gambling. Not one. But it will seem as if the regulator is ‘doing something.’ That may sound glib, but there is absolutely no evidence that such measures will have any meaningful effect, other than to shut down gambling for millions in the regulated market

Opposition to such plans, from bettors who refuse to provide data, quite reasonably, has not been considered by those who dreamed up such policies. They dismiss the rights of individuals to bet, if, that is, they refuse to heave up their financial data for all to see.

That would include, of course, government agencies. The taxman.

There have been some eye watering fines on gambling companies, imposed by the Commission, with regularity. I am surprised however that the level, and number of these. It hasn’t struck those dishing out fines with apparent glee, that perhaps the scale of ‘non compliance’ is down to human factors. Many of the companies fined have millions of customers, all subject to these new rules

How difficult would it be to spot the ones operators reasonably miss? Especially when one considers the new breed of ‘give me my money back, I was vulnerable’ fraudsters. Again ill considered by regulators.

Remarkably the incredibly vague basis for regulatory action for fines has not been challenged by operators before now. A Commission emboldened to continue with imposition of fines based enirely on their own ‘judgement call’ on whether an operator had been seen to do enough, because noone, as yet has marched them into the High Court for judiciary review.

The regulations are, quite simply, unworkable. A roadmap to fines and lost licenses

Take for example expensive ‘affordability background checking tools’ The commission now demands we pay for these. Equally they tell those same operators ‘not to rely on affordability background checking tools.’ Stupid, right? That’s because they absolutely know they don’t work.

Why wouldn’t you challenge infantile regulations? It’s simple, all the time you’re appealing enforcement, you’re sitting without a license. And the UKGC marks its own homework. It becomes a commercial decision for the operators. Pay up, and keep your license, or spend months fighting them in court, earning nothing. It makes better business sense to smile and pay up

In the short term, of course.

There are two basic codes in play here

Rule 1. Consumers are fully aware there’s no law mandating they have to accede to these checks

Rule 2. Consumers are fully aware there are black market alternatives, just a click of the mouse away

Under the proposals, we would have public officials looking into your spending habits, and determining how much is affordable in your gambling every month. The choice of the individual to spend, as he or she sensibly determine, is being marginalised. We are being given our pocket money by the state.

One can only imagine the mind-boggling calculations which will be required. The over estimation of areas of spend deemed for ‘good causes’ as set against spending on our addictions, it brings in the question of morality, with those against gambling determining whether another can, or should be gambling.

Is gambling somehow sufficiently different to warrant such actions by the state? Is it desirable, or just the slippery slope to officials to tell us how much we can spend on drink, going to the football, or other leisure activities. Once you allow these people control over your life, a dangerous precedent has been set. One should recall that of late credit cards were banned as a method of paying for your wagering. It was an important step to ensuring people only bet as they could afford. Highly successful messaging, encouraging people to control their spend is actively employed by operators, at great expense. It has lent itself to universally low problem gambling levels. Just 0.2% of the population

Why is such success being ignored? Why is the general public being told what they can, or can not spend their money on, and how much?

Has the gambling sector and its customers so failed that is deserving of such treatment? Well in an era of responsible gambling tools and pro-active interventions, I think the companies have been entirely successful implementing fair policies on its customers. Things are firmly moving in the right direction, I see little necessity for a Gambling Commission to intervene so destructively in people’s lives in order to be considered relevant. Especially in the eyes of a media, chasing sensationalist ‘oh dear me’ stories. There’s always a temptation by regulators to be making draconian moves in support of the cluck cluck brigade

As for the consumer? Why does the Comission imagine they’re going to happily share their payslips and annual accounts with operators? In the knowledge that information has to be pooled with other operators and government departments? So far, the answer is a resounding no from consumers. Many have simply turned off their gambling. Turnover in the industry down by not less than a third.

Regulators at the gambling commission have worked themselves into a self-interested approach. Revered by those who oppose gambling, despite clear and incontrovertible evidence that such measures simply don’t work. Most especially in the online world where companies have millions of customers. How many ‘intervention calls’ is it humanly possible to make? It is frankly astonishing that regulations have been set down which fail to respect the hearts and minds of ordinary people.

Commission thought is dominated by a “prevailing vision” which seals itself off from any empirical evidence that is inconsistent with that vision.

And if, as it should, the single customer wallet idea fails the information security test, individual customers will be tied to one operator for their spend, or avoid reasonable withdrawal of winnings.

Looking at the inability of so many companies, with impressive compliance departments, companies like Entain for example. Fined relentlessly by the gambling commission, for the same failures. Now under investigation by the Australian regulators for AML failings. At what point do governments or judges intervene to restore basic common sense?

It seems to me, that whilst these companies sold themselves to these new measures, because they saw a golden opportunity to collect, and profit thereby, from unprecedented levels of data from customers, have scored the biggest corporate own goal in history.

They signed up to measures without thought for the rightful views of their customers. They signed up to profit from the data. Only to find the measures they agreed to implement (in the absence of primary legislation by the way) as totally unworkable. The consequences for such companies indeed grave. Worse though for medium and small gambling operators. They cannot survive the slashing of their customer base and turnover in a scramble to ‘comply.’ The hefty cost attaching to affordability tools, which don’t work. Extra staffing. And let’s face it, clients simply saying no.

Depressingly as a small to medium scale operator, I’m painfully aware companies like my own, as so ill considered by a commission mired in dogma. Pressing a notably socialist agenda, because it keeps the impressive budgets, and funds their anti gambling chums. They make grand speeches telling everyone how many fines they’ve issued, treat the operators like children who have made no effort. All in transparent effort to placate the anti gambling community. Embarked on the destruction of the very industry they represent.

If I sound angry, or exasperated, it’s because I am. I’ve never seen an industry butchered so casually, by those who would see it die. The Gambling Commission undertook extensive consultation on affordability measures. 16,000 responded, overwhelmingly against the plans, and were ignored. People are having their gambling account closed, many who’s accounts have existed, without issue, for decades. Now they are either unwilling to provide the financial data, or simply unable to adequately prove their worth. The Commission pays no regard for the likely millions who will see their passtime dissappear in such way. Large gambling companies evidently profit by the data, selling the information on, and using the information gained to close unprofitable accounts. And the Commision ignores this. Very clearly the black market is the beneficiary of plans designed to throttle gambling in the UK, and they deny its importance. And many sports, notably horse and greyhound racing, will see their funding and sponsorship slashed. Industries which are part of our heritage. Yet they tally on.

I know how I feel about all this. I was recently asked by Bet Victor for a copy of my payslip. Whilst I haven’t had one of those for years, the prospect of sharing my worth with the operator’s staff in Gibraltar isn’t one I relish. I closed an account I’d had for three decades. There isn’t a single operator I would share my data with. Entain, for example retain your personal data for 7 years, ponder that one for a moment..

The information commissioners office offers no protection from companies domiciled abroad. Be aware all the soldiers are lined up against gamblers

I’d rather have my bets on the black. But for the time being, I’ve simply stopped betting.

I’m not alone

Geoff Banks

http://www.geoffbanks.bet

The Vision of the Anointed

The Vision of the Anointed

The Vision of the Anointed

The Vision of the Anointed

We are daily bombarded with stories of ‘deaths’ – Death counters are the staple diet of media companies holding us fascinated, and keeping the advertisers happy. They profit from this crisis.

Who hasn’t been persuaded that we will end up like Italy? Or Spain? Countries vastly different than our own in the very make up, culture and attitude of their citizens

Would it surprise you to learn the average age of death in Italy at 78.5 years? Not a bad innings. What would they reasonably expect to live to in Italy? 82 years.

Of course we need to protect the NHS, and not allow them to get swamped. But in my opinion, and being the type of person only persuaded by hard data, I believe the new hospitals we are building should more than adequately be able to cope with the demand we should expect from this virus. And allow the country back to work

Some may take the view I take a rather cold approach to this matter. That you see yourself as decent human beings and every life must be preserved, if we can. I totally get your point.

 

But I believe the future of our children and those still young enough should be the ultimate determining factor of how we approach matters. Wrecking our economy to save people (two thirds, to one half would likely die this year anyway) is far too high a price to pay. In my opinion.

Where do I get such data? Well read on. What follows are not my words. However articles like this, informed, intelligent columns arguing against the total shut downs advocated by media types like Piers Morgan urgently give us pause for thought.

” The news today tells us that the UK has recorded 11658 cases of the Covid-19 virus and 578 deaths up from 9529 cases and 465 deaths yesterday and that is very sad, as any death is sad. But let’s try and put that into perspective.

The population of the UK as at 21 March 2020 is 67,786,872. The total deaths in the UK in 2019 was 530,857 By simple mathematics this equates to: 10,208 people die every week. 1,458 people die every day. Of the people that have died of Coronavirus, according to Professor Neil Fergusson (Imperial Collage, London.) 1/2 to 2/3 of those who have died would have died this year from their existing underlying medical conditions.

To date total number of people dying from Cv-19 is 578, which by Professor Fergusson’s calculation would mean that the Covid-19 as the prime cause of death would be between 192 and 289. The first officially recorded case of the Covid-19 in the UK was on 12/02/2020 that is 6 weeks and 2 days to 26 March 2020. This would equate to say 250 Covid-19 deaths above the 64,152 average deaths for this period.

If you care to go to the government’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention website you will discover that from 1/10/2019 to 21/3/2020 Influenza estimates in the UK, are: Flu illnesses between 33,000,000 – 54,000,000: Flu medical visits between 18,000,000 – 26,000,000: Flu hospitalizations between 400,000 – 730,000: Flu deaths between 24,000-62,000. Did we crash the country for these?

You may have read about the Kings College Coronavirus Symptom reporting App. Which was launched on 24 March, within 24 hrs they had 650,000 responses. They calculated that about 10% of the responses indicated that the responders had had the Covid-19 virus and if extrapolated to the whole of the UK, this would mean that 6.5M people in the UK have already had the virus. Oxford have also done a study which, they say has revealed, that at least 500,000 people have already had the virus. This means that the Kings College app indicates that the death rate is .00000512% and the Oxford study indicates that the death rate is .0005%.

This is why I think the world has gone mad. We have closed down hundreds of thousands of small businesses many of whom will go bankrupt. Millions of employees are out of work and have no income. The suffering and anguish which a huge number of people are suffering is totally unnecessary.

Millions of people are isolating themselves with untold consequences for their mental health. The government has committed billions, possibly trillions that will have to be paid back, placing a huge burden on the next generation. The interest payable will probably end up costing more than we spend on the NHS. Taxes will sky rocket. The government have taken, totally unnecessary, draconian powers, of which Castro in Cuba would be envious. They are even encouraging us to spy on each other.

If we go back over history and see what the experts have predicted about all the recent epidemics and how wide of the mark most of them were and are. We saw the expert predictions that mad cow disease would kill 150,000 not the below 200 that have died so far. Why are we trusting any of them now. Early in the Coronavirus scare, a UK company offered the government Covid-19 testing kits at £6. If they had taken them up, none of this would be necessary.

Is all of this being done to keep me and others of my age alive for a few more years?

Crazy.

THIS IS PROJECT FEAR ON A HUGE SCALE. BORIS JOHNSON SHOULD START LEADING NOT FOLLOWING. WHEN HE IS BACK AT WORK NEXT WEEK, LET’S ALL GET BACK TO WORK ”

end.

I endorse this view, evidently from one of the vulnerable group. Public health and economic health go hand in hand and we urgently need to get back to work. Fine, some may view this as heartless, the work of statisticians. But we must look beyond the next few weeks to our very future. A future where thousands of businesses on which we depend go bankrupt. Surely you see the handouts cannot last? Consider what happens when the music stops? Who will be providing the jobs?

Build the extra hospitals and unlock the working people of Britain now Boris.

I hope you share or comment fairly with your considered views.

 

Geoff

If one were to engineer global panic, resultant re-drawing the world order. Bringing down companies thought invincible. Reducing flag carriers and small airlines to bankruptcy within a few months, decimating the savings of private individuals and changing the landscape for our children, this is what you do

 

You engineer a virus. You make it such that it attacks the old, yet leaves the young relatively unscathed. You know healthcare systems around the planet aren’t geared up, nor have the investment to deal with the sudden demand for beds and ventilators

You employ a few media types to spread the message. You know the news networks will run with it constantly. Scream headlines that have people panic buying. All the time adding value to those news networks. Headlines just like ‘VIRUS PANDEMIC, GLOBAL EMERGENCY’

Let’s get one thing right – Piers Morgan – fuels panic. It wouldn’t surprise me to find many of the current government policies respecting his outspoken views. In similar vein, the ‘pandemic’ is excellent for the bottom line of Sky News and similar media outlets

Within weeks Western Governments, under pressure from the media shut down all essential business, and more. They bankrupt themselves trying to avoid anarchy. Coming up with schemes to fund people’s lives on borrowed money. Moving the problem on all the time. Deferring the strain on hospital beds and people’s finances.

Some countries, and some people have a lot to gain from the panic of people in the West. Not least it seems, at the very least in profile a certain Piers Morgan.

Eastern Governments don’t view the loss of human life, even if inevitable, with the same gravitas. Can anyone recall the numbers of deaths being mentioned in Russia? China reports considerably lower infection and death rates. Westerners only discuss Italy. Not Norway, or even the UK, which has a very low number of deaths at 233 (at the time of writing) That will rise, and potentially significantly, but will we consider if they’re ‘extra deaths’ – or not? We’re morbidly fascinated with what is happening in the country with the oldest population in the world.

Where will our irrational fear of death lead us? If what we end up with is worse, what on earth is our plan here?

Eastern Governments will come out of this crisis very well. And most certainly in control of our finances. Whilst we discuss ever worsening scenarios, they’re registering substantially less cases.

Check this interesting, recent table, showing the source of infection, the most populous nation on earth registering a very significant slow down

The behaviour of Western Governments is entirely predictable. People in the our world view the idea of death by natural causes, as entirely unacceptable. We see ourselves as decent because we try to save as many lives as we can. Even if those lives are infirm. Even if as a society we absolutely know we are living a lot longer. Even if we appreciate there are far too many of us on this planet at the current time. The evidence of the change to our planet’s weather is global testament to our success as a species, not only in propogating ourselves, but in surviving longer. We’re not under threat of extinction any time soon.

It is, for this very reason, that our healthcare systems are constantly under strain. We cannot cope with an ever increasing elderly population.

Western Governments will fare very badly from the resultant of shutting down all of its business to ‘save lives. ‘  It is fully prepared to bankrupt itself. It gently suggests we should be prepared for deaths, because it appears at this time, with no cure, that the vulnerable unfortunately will likely fare worst.

What we will we leave our children? This is what concerns me. Saving the vulnerable whilst we casually sacrifice the future for the young.  Destroying the savings of millions of families across the nation. How can we fund the ventilators, Doctors and Nurses required to help deal with this problem in the absence of cash? Why do we risk the anarchy of the general public- as we witness daily in supermarkets? Where’s the evidence of that famous ‘stiff upper lip’ there? The idiots rule the aisles, sitting on their loo rolls. We have a glut of morons who think we will run out of bloody toilet paper!

The oddity of this particular virus? It lags an awful long way behind other examples such as good old influenza. Which has killed us routinely for decades in tens of thousands. Every year. Isn’t there the possibility, given the numbers who die from the flu, that we are being terribly precipitous? Will Covid kill more than flu – yes it might short head it. But where is the annual lock down for flu?

I’m no scientist, but I have listened to various experts and each one carries a different message. All agree on one thing. We are told to wash our hands. Distance ourselves. Very sensible.

Lock down. Hmm, well I fully understand if you fall into the vulnerable type. So you should. But as principle I fundamentally disagree with policy that leaves us with so much less when it’s over. I believe the simple answer lies in people’s behaviour. Keep your distance and wear a mask. Change how you behave not hide behind the sofa and emerge to no job

Of course we all must accept the savings of many will be demolished. You don’t get paid in many cases to sit at home.

We move the problem along.  Eventually we will all emerge, and when we do the nightmare for the health service recommences.

In the meantime – the governments can’t test. Because everyone’s after PPE and testing kits at the same time.

And whilst we successfully bankrupt the businesses we’ve always depend upon, what do we leave behind for our children, and our young? We’ve already shown we are prepared to sacrifice the academic efforts of everyone who has attended school for the last decade by cancelling exams

I believe strongly that public health – and economic health are vital. That the solution is not to so casually bastardise entire economies. The entire shutdown by Western Governments to keep the Piers Morgan and Kaye Burley types might appear the only solution to some, but it is a fundamental error.Where do you go once you’ve wrecked not only the economy, but the livelihoods and savings millions built up? Where’s the tough decision then?

People hate the stark reality, which appears to be, at this time, we are moving the problem along with one purpose in mind. Safeguarding some order in the NHS. However at what catastrophic price?

You cannot pick up the reins of many of the essential companies we depend upon when this is all over. The structure of many of these companies, with so much cost, doesn’t forecast for several months as a non trading enterprise.

Business that can operate with minimal risk – must be encouraged. We should throw  overbearing health and safety ideals out the window. We screen, we test, we do what we can- but we continue to function as we can. We trade lives we can save, for economic health, not those we cannot.

I cannot speak with any authority on other business, except my own. So you will forgive me for using this example. I believe as many companies that can continue to function, with minimal risk, should do so. And maintain some sort of fiscal order.

British Racing, my industry, is in shutdown. It stands alone in many racing authorities who operate a closed door policy quite successfully. It could contribute to the finances of the country right now, as it always has, to the tune of hundreds of millions a year. It could keep those who work within the industry in employment, rather than ruin the same.

It operates on huge racetracks, surely segregation of workers is childplay for experienced racing managers! Millions depend on the sport for essential mental health. Their well being. A sense of some normality. Instead, in standard ‘knee jerk’ reaction to criticism of the Cheltenham Festival going ahead (another poor move) it has closed its doors. The executives consulted a couple of powerless Labour MP’s, who claim to bat for racing, and they recommended we should all be out of work, and go cap in hand to Government for help.

Ambulances aren’t under strain, although we use private St Johns in many cases. And if a jockey needs hospital treatment? Then we enforce an appropriate lock down of that jockey. Ask them then do they want to work?

The closure, based on excessively weak arguments about adding to the burden of public health, appeared more of a statement, than that of an authority bent on doing the best for the sport, not by closure, but by determined organising of a closed door policy, which is well within our compass

That, in my view, is totally irresponsible, of everyone involved in the decision.

In conclusion, it appears three things that must happen if we are to come out of this with any semblance of our lives prior to the virus

• Follow the sensible distancing, hand washing measures being advocated of course
• Accept that economic health cannot be sacrificed to save the vulnerable.
• Test everyone. Right now. Find out who has it, and who has not.  People moving about for any reason need screening

 

Up until now, we are stumbling in the dark

Mark Souster

For those of a certain vintage there are moments in golf which stick out in the mind. Remember Doug Sanders missing a two foot putt for the Open in 1970, and Scott Hoch from a similar distance for the Masters in 1989 thus earning himself the soubriquet ‘Hoch, the Choke.’ How backers of both men must have cursed.

Arnold Palmer blew a seven stroke lead at the 1966 US Open with nine to play and who can forget Greg Norman’s back nine collapse at Augusta in 1996 from which Nick Faldo took full advantage? And probably the saddest of all was Jean van der Velde committing his very own public version of hari kari at the last in the 1999 Open. He could have afforded a double bogey, but instead suffered a total meltdown. And that after taking his shoes and socks off to try to play from the stream.
There are more recent examples of major blowouts too. In 2016 Jordan Spieth turned for home and an historic back to back Masters at his mercy with a five stroke lead. But at Rae’s Creek he twice went into the water for a quadruple bogey, gifting the tournament to Danny Willett.

The odds on any of the above happening are remote. But happen they did and such examples and numerous others have helped to boost the appeal of golf as a betting medium. After football and racing it is probably now the third most popular for the armchair punter. And for good reason.
The range of bets and options are numerous. Golf betting has increased significantly in popularity in recent years. This is partly down to the interest generated by emerging young talents but also the potential value it offers bettors. Know here to look and there’s some great value to be found.
Fifty years ago when Sanders imploded the market was restricted really to win or each way. Now there’s a blizzard of bets to choose from and a welter of data to help the decision making process.
Bookies love it because it appeals to an ABC1 audience, there’s a tournament somewhere in the world most weekends, it gets wall to wall coverage and the audience is captive for six hours at a time for the real aficionado. Tournaments reach their denouement over a weekend when people have time to relax and want to engage.
Understanding how to bet on golf is a lot easier than many people think. The most common form of golf is stroke play but there is also match play – this is when two or more golfers score each hole individually and the game is decided by winning the most holes.

In terms of golf betting, the main competitions of interest are the four yearly majors (The Masters, US Open, The Open and PGA Championship), as well as PGA Tour events, European Tour events and the Ryder Cup.
Knowledge of the sport is merely a starting point when learning how to bet on golf. The next step is to understand the type of markets available and how to find valuable betting opportunities. Study general form, course form, the stats and avoid inexperienced players.
Accumulating knowledge of how certain players play and the course layout for a particular tournament is essential. Different players are better suited to particular courses depending on their strengths and weaknesses and will, therefore, perform better in different tournaments.
For instance the big hitting Bubba Watson and the aforementioned Spieth suit the longer courses such as Augusta and Quail Hollow as they are longer with their driver. In contrast, players like Phil Mickelson with a hot as mustard short game suit courses like Pebble Beach which require a better mastery of irons and wedges.
Look at statistics like scoring average and driving accuracy as these are good indicators of performance. However for a more advanced approach to golf betting, strokes gained statistics, greens in regulation and fairways in regulation are much more useful.
Additionally, scrambling percentage – missing greens in regulation but making a par or better highlights a player’s ability to recover after an error. Top 10 finishes can be used to gauge consistency.
Betting on an outright winner is without doubt the most popular market when someone is looking to bet on golf online. Sometimes backing a favourite outright is simply just the way to go in any sport, even in golf.

But when tournament fields are made upwards of 140 players, it often makes sense to back a golfer in the each way market. It can certainly offer great value especially with bookmakers paying 1/5 the odds down to seven places.
Take the winners of the 2019 Majors: Shane Lowry 100-1 at the Open, Gary Woodland 80-1 US Open, Tiger Woods 14-1 for the Masters and Brooks Koepka 10-1 to win US PGA. Some people made a tidy profit.
Away from the ‘mainstream’ there are the top 10 and top 20 markets. This is a useful section to back golfers who are steady but who rarely threaten the top of the leaderboard.
Another way to make money betting on golf is to focus on match bets. People might think they can find a certainty albeit at short prices in a three ball. It could be the players are on offer at 4/6, 5/4 and 11/4. Even 4/6 could offer value to a big punter. There is huge market for that.
How about top nationality betting? Or holes-in-one which seem to be getting more frequent as players are getting more and more accurate and aggressive as equipment improves and standards get higher.
The final statistic that is always a must – a player’s putting ability. As the old adage goes, ‘driving for show, putting for dough’. If a golfer struggles to putt due to a poor technique or suffers previous mental scarring or the yips under the Sunday afternoon pressure, then he isn’t going to win you money.
Then there’s in-play betting – appealing to the male City type who loves the adrenaline rush of deals. It’s great fun, you can bet golf live and the results can be highly profitable. This sector is growing. The amounts matched on the Open are thought to be as much as £30m. One expert described it as like a stock market based on a moving golf tournament. Effectively there’s a market on every stroke in golf a way of betting on every shot of the ball.

Let’s imagine in a non-Corona virus era the Masters was taking place next month. Where and what should we look for? Past form used to be a more reliable guide to a player’s chances. Jack Nicklaus won it eight times, Tiger Woods four times including last year’s heart-warming comeback victory, and Arnold Palmer four times in eight years way back when. Mickleson, Nick Faldo and Gary Player each have three Green Jackets.
But if you take the results from the past decade or so, attempting to find the winner of the Masters is more problematic. That is why the bookmakers love it and why golf has become such a popular betting platform.
So where would be start? Maybe with Rory McIlroy who some believe really is getting better with age? Some though would put a line through his chances if he’d started as expected as 6/1 favourite. Why though back a player who hasn’t won a Major for six years and needs a Green Jacket to complete a Grand Slam which in itself lends huge added pressure. There’s therefore no value in backing McIlroy.
But there might be in him to be first round leader at say 20-1. He has form there so it provides value and is an increasingly popular type of betting. He could make a fast start due to an early morning tee off when weather permitting he will get the best of conditions and low winds, fresh greens and no leaderboard pressure.
Next step? Start looking for value for players who are in form but you’d do better to rule out players who have been injured; this year such as Koepka and Dustin Johnson. Tommy Fleetwood might be 20-1 but ask yourself why would back him when he has only won one tournament in three years and never a major.

Better surely someone like John Rahm? He is a multiple winner and consistent. So is Justin Thomas. This is key. Jack Nicklaus once said: ‘When you are playing golf you must win regularly to give yourself the confidence to win Majors. “ Then look at up and coming players and who could win and are therefore are at a more fancied price. Into that category would come Zander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay, Bryson DeChambeau.
Finally we should not forget the big Daddy of them all, the Ryder Cup. It’s another serious attraction. Europe has still got the strength in depth and ability to win it more often. If looking today at the 2020 event you can get 6/4 on Europe winning the next iteration while America are 8/11 and albeit the USA had home advantage. In a two horse race and on past form Europe’s odds look fairly generous to some punters.