The betting industry was given some good news concerning the future of greyhound racing yesterday, as Ladbrokes-Coral committed to paying a voluntary levy. Not only does this go some way to safeguarding the sport for years to come but it also protects the longevity of a number of ongoing matched betting offers too. Therefore it should be considered good news to those who like to exploit bookmaker offers to make money online.
Ladbrokes-Coral Agrees To Pay Voluntary Levy
The funding of greyhound racing in the UK has long been the subject of debate. With the exception of bet365, no other online bookmakers made voluntary contributions from offshore operations, until now. Ladbrokes-Coral has pledged unconditionally to make payments through the British Greyhound Racing Fund, or any body advised pending the outcome of Lord Lipsey’s ongoing review of the sport.
Ladbrokes-Coral operates four greyhound tracks at Hove, Monmore, Crayford and Romford. The levy funding relates to online operations and will add to the retail funding that is already provided at these venues. It is hoped that more bookies will follow suit, now that Ladbrokes-Coral have laid down a marker.
Ladbrokes Coral Chief Executive Jim Mullen had this to say on the news;
“We run our tracks to the highest standards of integrity and welfare and hope that this additional funding can help the wider industry join us in the aim of building a better sport and spectacle for the modern day customer.”
The move has been met with high praise from the Greyhound Board of Great Britain with Chief Executive Barry Faulkner commenting;
“We hope that other operators will follow suit and agree to extend the voluntary levy to their remote operations. Hopefully, this will begin a process whereby the chronic under-funding of greyhound racing comes to an end. The additional revenue will help to ensure that sport can maintain the highest standards of welfare and integrity”
More Matched Betting Offers For Greyhound Racing
Like horse racing, greyhound betting presents daily matched betting opportunities. There are typically around 100 races on any given day and many of the meetings have bookmaker offers attached. Curiously, the pick of these offers are promoted by the three firms that now pay a voluntary levy; bet365, Ladbrokes and Coral. If more operators do the same, then it is not inconceivable that we may see more attractive offers across the board.
The bet365 offer concerns meetings that are screened live on Sky Dogs. It gives a risk-free bet of up to £100 for backing a winner at odds of 2/1 or greater in one of the nominated races. With a close match, a guaranteed profit strategy can be employed to yield around £15, so it’s an extremely lucrative offer.
Ladbrokes also use the live Sky Dogs races for a money back 2nd offer. The free bet refund is capped at £25 and the promo represents good advantage play value. Coral promotes various greyhound offers too. Free Bets For Winners gives up to £25 free bet for backing a winner at odds of 2/1 or more, which is profitable over repeated play. There’s even a promotion which gives four £5 free bets for staking £20 on the opening race at selected meetings, allowing you to lock-in as much as £12.
Other bookmakers run greyhound promotions too. While these are not as appealing as the aforementioned offers, they are more readily available and are still profitable under the right circumstances. Paddy Power, Mint Bet, Toals, Tommy French and BetMcLean all offer money back if your dog is second to the Starting Price favourite. Bruce Betting has a different take on this and gives a refund if your selection is runner-up to a nominated trap.
On the face of it these offers don’t look that good but in both cases you can improve your chances of hitting a refund by taking a close match on a dog that is running against an odds-on favourite (provided it’s from the necessary trap for Bruce Betting). This will increase the likelihood that the offer condition is met, after which your dog simply needs to be second over the line to qualify for the refund.
An important consideration to make before getting involved with greyhound offers is the amount of effort required. Unlike horse racing which has early prices, you need to be around to back and lay your selections. Greyhound odds become available shortly before the off and you will need to be well practiced at finding matches without the assistance of an oddsmatcher.