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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think that match betting is still gambling

205 replies

Firstimer703 · 02/11/2019 11:46

Earlier on, I sat down with my husband and son for a family breakfast. A minute or so in, DH took his phone out and when I said about not having phones at the table (as I thought we agreed), he basis he had to put a bet on. I said I didn't think that was a good reason and he wouldn't be happy if I did it and I didn't think he'd let DS do it in the future. He completely kicked off, shouting at me in front of DS and being very aggressive.

He's been doing match betting which I've asked him not to do from the start. He told me today he's disappointed that I'm not interested and haven't listened when he's tried to explain. When he has to put a bet on during a 10 minute breakfast with his family and the reason is that he'll lose money if he doesn't, it looks like addiction to me! AIBU?

OP posts:
KOKOagainandagain · 02/11/2019 16:36

Also, MBs are exploiting offers of bookies and so will not be backing on an exchange. Therefore, there is no 'placed back bet at 10 to 1 - where does the £100 winnings come from?'

I place a £10 lay bet on the exchange and, regardless of odds, if it wins I can only get my £10 back - there is no odds x stake = winnings.

KOKOagainandagain · 02/11/2019 16:48

OTOH exchanges allow gambling on an event not happening at similar odds (lay odds closely matched to back odds) as it happening even though logically and mathematically this is not the case. Eg without backing at a bookies, I can place a bet at the exchange where I back not winning rather than winning.

GunpowderGelatine · 02/11/2019 16:52

And for those who make money, the only reason why you make money is because others are losing money

No. I don't need people to lose money to do matched betting. I just need bookies to set decent odds.

God only on MN would people get virtuous about matched betting 🤣

WomensRightsAreContraversial · 02/11/2019 17:00

And for those who make money, the only reason why you make money is because others are losing money

Punters gonna punt whether or not we matched bet or not. We have ZERO influence on whether Dave from down the road is going to stick a tenner on the match tonight or not.

If you think facilitating gambling is immoral we are taking profit from the 'evil' facilitators of gambling, the bookies. Uppit should be thanking us really Wink

See also; do you have a problem with every pub? After all they're facilitating people paying money to poison themselves with alcohol.

WomensRightsAreContraversial · 02/11/2019 17:01

*you not uppit

AnalFloss · 02/11/2019 17:05

Match betting is not gambling (I did it for a bit and didn't think the profit was worth the time investment but the only risk is user error really).
Your DH is being unreasonable for getting aggressive with you, but YABU telling a grown man when he can use his phone.
Most people do fine without a second mother.

KOKOagainandagain · 02/11/2019 17:24

To get back to the OP's original question - it is because of the time sensitive nature of sports trading, especially in-play where the trading can be huge in a very short time (think stock market), that DH is required to be flexible. Atm he is trying to do this on the side so that family life is not impacted (maybe because you disapprove). This is usually ok but today was England v SA at 9 am.

He is working to earn money at this time but needs to learn that he needs to absent himself at key times. You need to have a discussion that is not framed around gambling and addiction but looks at the pros and cons of unpredictable work patterns. Ie. Con: didn't have family breakfast. Pro: profit of £20.

Is he doing this for no reason or do you actually need to increase income? Is there a better way of increasing income?

multiplemum3 · 02/11/2019 17:25

You not coming back now op after being told it's not betting?

crustycrab · 02/11/2019 17:33

Hope @Firstimer703 has listened to her DH now after reading (and not responding to) all these replies.

Hope he's apologised for shouting but it's so frustrating when someone won't listen or try to understand you, shoots you down and tells you no, I don't want you to do that even though I don't know what it is or try to understand it

Raindrops17 · 02/11/2019 17:51

I find it hilarious when people are adamant that matched betting is gambling and just as addictive. I'm a rubbish MBer really, I find it a bit of a chore but I do it because I could do with the extra money. I certainly don't get a high from placing a bet!

Anyway, criticise it all you want. It's the MBers who have the last laugh... all the way to the bank!

Oh and Bet365 revenue for 2018 was £2.7billion. The founder made £265million last year. That's after MBers have taken from their pot taking advantage of their offers. We are absolutely not the problem within the industry. We are a drop in the ocean.

BananaPeach · 02/11/2019 18:03

You clearly don’t understand how matched betting works. I’ve made over £50k since starting. It IS risk free and not gambling

woodchuck99 · 02/11/2019 18:15

You clearly don’t understand how matched betting works. I’ve made over £50k since starting. It IS risk free and not gambling

Wow! how much time do you spend doing it?

Octopus37 · 02/11/2019 18:35

Another matched better here, have given it a go a couple of times before but started again in December last year. Profits have been up and down, but have ramped it up a lot recently (learnt how to do some of the more advanced offers) and its helping me considerably towards Christmas and my moving costs. As others have said, its only a problem if you have an addictive personality. I haven't, I rarely watch the event I have bet on unless I need to keep an eye on the score as part of the offer. People will always gamble matched betting or not. Its another means of making money at the end of the day

chomalungma · 02/11/2019 18:39

See also; do you have a problem with every pub? After all they're facilitating people paying money to poison themselves with alcohol

Interesting question.

Many people enjoy a drink - but alcholism affects many people and families.

Many people enjoy a gamble - but gambling affects many people and families.

As people have said, if you are a matched better, you are part of the gambling industry. You are making money.

Someone somewhere is losing that money.

I do worry about the proliferation of bookies and the gambling industry as a whole. You can see the adverts for bookies everywhere. We have quite a few near me - it's a deprived area. It was a whole new world when I popped into Coral because you had to get your free bets in the actual shop. The people playing the fixed odds betting machines - so addictive.

chomalungma · 02/11/2019 18:40

People will always gamble matched betting or not. Its another means of making money at the end of the day

Yes they will.

Where do you think your profits are coming from?

GunpowderGelatine · 02/11/2019 18:47

Best never wander into a shop then @chomalungma you're feeding into an industry that affects kleptomaniacs

Gamblers will offer bets at the exchange wether I'm matched betting or not, frankly I care more about making money for me than I do about some abstract "victim" of the exchange

GunpowderGelatine · 02/11/2019 18:47

Best never wander into a shop then @chomalungma you're feeding into an industry that affects kleptomaniacs

Gamblers will offer bets at the exchange wether I'm matched betting or not, frankly I care more about making money for me than I do about some abstract "victim" of the exchange

chomalungma · 02/11/2019 18:56

amblers will offer bets at the exchange wether I'm matched betting or not, frankly I care more about making money for me than I do about some abstract "victim" of the exchange

It's the same argument for being in the arms industry.

People will always buy weapons no matter what so it doesn't matter if we sell weapons because if they don't buy them from us, they will buy them from someone else...

TerfTastic101 · 02/11/2019 19:03

...except that arms dealing (in the UK) is pretty much illegal (the kind of weapons you're talking about, anyway) and matched betting isn't.

woodchuck99 · 02/11/2019 19:11

People will always buy weapons no matter what so it doesn't matter if we sell weapons because if they don't buy them from us, they will buy them from someone else...

It's not the same because if everybody stopped selling arms there wouldn't be any arms. If everybody stopped matched betting it would not benefit gamblers. It would only benefit the gambling industry.

chomalungma · 02/11/2019 19:15

except that arms dealing (in the UK) is pretty much illegal (the kind of weapons you're talking about, anyway) and matched betting isn't

I'm talking about the legal kind. It's the same argument people make for us having an arms industry. Countries are going to buy weapons so they might as well buy them from us.

If everybody stopped matched betting it would not benefit gamblers. It would only benefit the gambling industry

If the gambling industry stopped, it would benefit people. Matched betters are part of the gambling industry.

But people are making money out of it and they don't know the people involved who are losing money so that's ok then..

I just hope that they don't have friends or family affected by gambling.

GunpowderGelatine · 02/11/2019 19:17

Wow way to compare apples with oranges Confused

crustycrab · 02/11/2019 19:19

Haha, you still here @chomalungma making irrelevant comments to try and get your (wrong) point across 😂

woodchuck99 · 02/11/2019 19:22

If the gambling industry stopped, it would benefit people. Matched betters are part of the gambling industry.

They are no more part of the industry than anyone else who gambles is part of the industry.

chomalungma · 02/11/2019 19:22

making irrelevant comments to try and get your (wrong) point across

People have said that matched betters are part of the gambling industry.

There are people who gamble and who have problems with it - addiction and debt.

By doing matched betting, you are part of that industry.

Either you don't have a problem with that and you are more than happy to make money or you do have a problem with being part of the gambling industry.

I suppose the matched betters on here don't have a problem with being part of the gambling industry as long as they make money themselves.

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