CopyBet services appear to be a new trend in the world of sports betting, but are they useful?
They provide a platform that allows players to clone the bets of the successful. To those looking uninterested in making their own decisions, it’s the jackpot.
Until you consider a few important factors, as we explain within this post…
The Biggest Problem With CopyBets:
CopyBet services are nothing new, they’ve recently been big in the world of investing too. Personally, I believe it’s where they came from.
Think of Trading 212 and other copy trading platforms for the stock market. They allow you to mirror the moves of successful players, with the hope of replicating their success. However, just like their financial market counterparts, they come bundled with their fair share of problems.
Now at this point, I want to say – I’m not targeting any particular copybet service here. Some do honestly represent opportunities, however, it’s important to think critically and consider the pro’s and cons before entrusting others with your money.
Naturally, these platforms often list the top performers, lending credence to their craft…
But remember, past performance is no indicator of future success. Furthermore, these top performers only represent the right edge of the bell curve – they’re the exception, not the rule. An impressive list of performers is inevitable, only representing a small fraction of the total number of players.
A similar example is ETorro – revealing that a whopping 79% of retail investors incur losses. That’s just the reality.
Copy Betting Services Liquidity Problems:
One primary issue with bet copying services is their inherent lack of liquidity. Unlike the stock market, the betting arena typically has fewer participants, making the market sensitive to even minor influxes of bets. Your typical bread-and-butter horse race on Betfair Exchange only turns over £200,000 – £300,000.
If a substantial number of bettors start replicating a successful player’s bet, this sudden influx skews the odds unfavourably. Psychoff has complained of this when tweeting about football opportunities before.
Consequently, by the time the copied bet is placed, the odds may already have shifted against the bettor, reducing its value.
The Regulation Deficit…
The stock market operates under heavy regulation, ensuring a certain level of fairness and security. In stark contrast, the betting market often lacks the same level of scrutiny. A prime example being the Football Index fiasco a couple of years back. The regulator wasn’t even interested when I warned them.
This void potentially paves the way for exploitation by dishonest parties looking to manipulate the system for personal gain.
Several services employ an affiliate scheme that rewards them regardless of whether the copied bets win or lose. Additionally, some ‘advisory’ services charge for access to other bettors’ tips, which exacerbates the aforementioned issue. Plus it begs the question – why share exact picks if you’re winning?
Sharing Exact Bets Doesn’t Make Sense!
As a professional gambler, I appreciate the problem of placing large bets without affecting the market. The goal is often to avoid tipping the market off and shifting the odds against you (or become over-exposed). Sharing the exact positions would be counterproductive. Sharing the how and why is one thing, but the exact bets as I place them is another.
While CopyBet services may seem like an attractive way to enhance your betting performance, they’re riddled with potential flaws. It’s crucial to approach any betting strategy or service with caution and conduct independent research before investing money.