5th November 2001 - issue 8

1. Betdaq scrap $500 minimum

In issue 7 one of the reservations I expressed about Betdaq was that you had to stake a minimum of $500 when offering or seeking odds. For me, the biggest disadvantage with this was that it prevented me from asking for greater odds than those on offer. The good news is that this is no longer a problem; the minimum bet has been reduced to a much more manageable $100 for all members whether they are accepted or seeking odds. This is a major step forward which increases this site's appeal to bookie free betters considerably.

2. Flutter launch their new in running service

This is similar in design and concept to the Betfair offering, the main advantage being a quick cancel button, and of course the quick and easy facility to change odds on existing bets. Football matches are getting a reasonable following with some decent bets on offer, although so far they are not up to Betfair levels. The often different odds between the sites suggests that there a completely different group of people playing on each site, giving rise to some good value and arbitrage opportunities.

3. Betfair introduce new in running market on football

Both before and during the match you can now bet on the next team to score. This is a very interesting bet, and judging by the Germany Ukraine game has attracted a good following in a short period of time, with good liquidity and a close spread between backers and layers.

4. Play121 late breaking news

Last week I had an email from Chris Dearling MD at play121, telling me that they were about to make some major changes to the site that they were all very excited about. The new look site was launched today, and I can understand his enthusiasm. I will have a good look at it in time for the next newsletter but from a quick glance my initial reaction is that this is a huge improvement, absolutely transforming the site. Play121 have retained their unique invent your own bet format and combined it with a much slicker easier to use layout. In addition they are in the process of putting together their own racing exchange. More news in issue 9, but in the meantime have a look for yourself.