Bookmaker Survey

Ladies and Gentlemen, we've found a site that lets us take a quick survey of opinions - and we want to know what you think about the bookmakers that we cover.

There are four short questions that establish some data for us :
- who your favourite bookmakers are.
- who else you might use
- who you've tried and dropped
- any bookmaker that we should add into our reviews / odds quoting system.

I estimate that this will take about 2 minutes of your time to do - and I'd appreciate any/all answers that we get. And it's completely anonymous - and you don't need to share any personal details like emails etc.

Click Here to take survey

I'll then go through the survey and look to make site changes accordingly.

(Next month we'll look at something else - like what leagues you follow and which bets styles that you prefer to take)

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Bookmaker Cashback offers

Make sure that you're aware of all the bookmaker cash-back offers this wekeend if you are placing a single on a high profile game.

The principal is simple - the high street bookmakers are fighting for your bet stake - so they offer several sweeteners on televised games in order to attract your custom.

These usually offer to refund your stakes if certain conditions are met during the game, like a player scoring the last goal, or being sent off, or perhaps even scoring via a header.

Last weekend BETFRED paid out over £20,000 in free bets after William Gallas headed the winner against Chelsea - so it's something well worth checking out.

We've found offers from Bet365, BoyleSports, BetFred, PaddyPower and VCBet that cover games like :
- Arsenal v Tottenham
- Manchester United v Everton
- Newcastle United v Derby County
- Blackburn v Chelsea
- Barcelona v Real Madrid

As well as offers giving insurance against 0-0 bore draws and also any injury time goals in ALL 10 English Premier League games this weekend.

That's insurance worth checking out !

HERE IS THE LINK TO OUR PAGE :
Gooners Guide to Gambling - Bookmaker Cash Back Page.

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Victor Chandler arrested in France ?

Not as such it seems but it was a pretty close thing when Victor Chandler was attending the Arc de Triomphe race meeting at Longchamps on Sunday.

Victor Chandler, the head of the self titled betting company is one of the UK's leading bookmakers, was in discussions with the local Gendarmarie for allegedly taking bets on horses.

Mr Chandler and several other bookmakers were in a hospitality facility for British race fans organised by Horse Racing Abroad when the local police moved in.

The four bookmakers are alledged to have been found in possession of betting stubs and (ahem) bundles of large Euro bills. All four were questioned and later released, however they were ordered not to leave the country pending further investigation.

In a brief statement, a spokesman for Victor Chandler said, "Four people from Victor Chandler were questioned by French police on Monday in respect of various aspects regarding entertaining at Longchamps. They were subsequently released without charge."

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FourPlay costs BetFred as punters get cashback.

It's always good to see a bookmaker cashback promotion payout - and that's what has happened over at Betfred this weekend.

Betfred were offering correct score refunds of up to GBP £100 if a side scored four goals or more on the weekend.

Man Utd 4-0 win means a refund for all correct score punters in this game at Betfred - and there must have been a few trying their luck at another 1-0 scoreline.

(see BookieLabrat.com for more info )

Mind you - Fred was lucky. It could have been a very expensive weekend with Arsenal, Manchester City, and Newcastle Utd all bagging three goals and coming close to a 4th on several occasions.

It's worth keeping and eye on the bookmakers for these special deals.

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Prepare to win when betting on Sports

It's that time of the year again when football talk is starting to get a bit more serious - major transfer moves are made - and the smart punter starts looking around for a couple of reliable internet bookmakers to join up to.

We've reviewed literally hundreds of bookmakers over the last seven years - and after a lot of playtesting, punting and betting experience we've narrowed our list of acceptable bookmakers and sportsbooks down to about 20 or so.

You can get a list of all our recommended bookmakers on the main site at our bookmaker reviews list and you can see the current list of all the latest free sports bet offers as well.

If you're serious about make money on sports - then WISE UP - and learn to bet with the best places while spreading your bets around to take the BEST ODDS.

But - just to set you right - here are FIVE UK bookmakers and international sportsbooks that you should have on your list. Not only will you get good joining offers - but between them you'll get access to 10-15% better odds - meaning more money in your pockets after each winning bet.

#1 £100 - Bet365 ---------- Visit Sportsbook or See Bookmaker Review
#2 £100 - SportingOdds - Visit Sportsbook or See Bookmaker Review
#3 10 % -- Bodog ---------- Visit Sportsbook or See Bookmaker Review
#4 £200 - Canbet --------- Visit Sportsbook or See Bookmaker Review
#5 $500 - PinnacleSports Visit Sportsbook or See Bookmaker Review

Good luck with your sports betting - although you will need less luck - because the odds always favours the prepared punter !

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REMEMBER : All of these sites are 100% safe and secure, all of these sites have a very solid reputation, and we back all of these site with our 1000 Euro guarantee.

What is the Gooners Guide Guarantee? If you join up from OUR site - and ever have a problem getting paid out from ANY of the bookmakers we list then I will personally go into "bat" for you and help you to get things sorted out.

And if it cannot be put right - and we think that you have a fair case - then I will pay you out of my pocket (up to €1000 - £700) and the the GoonersGuide.com site will cancel all further advertising with that organisation.

We take this stuff seriously and only recommend the best sportsbooks ...
YOU WILL BE PAID WHEN YOU WIN.

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Gamebookers Announce EUR 50 Join Bonus

GET €50 FREE when joining Gamebookers SportsBook

Gamebookers have raised their joining bonus gives all new punters up to €50 free as a 25% first deposit match.

This sounds pretty good to me ... especially if you're looking to add to your bookie options to maximise your chances of getting best odds ... as Gamebookers do have a reputation for offering odds on nearly every professional football match on the planet.

Gamebookers overall web site and systems are just about the best in the industy. We especially like their easy to use "one-click" betting process and handy payout calculator.

It's obvious these guys are specialist Internet bookies - try them - you'll like them.

RELATED LINKS :
Check out the full Gamebookers sportsbook review on our main site ...
Or Join Gamebookers NOW

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Is Wimbledon Over? Paddy Power pays out !!

We told you that our favourite Irish bookie (rated at 93%) was a little bit Crazy - and Paddy Power has shown it again by paying out on Roger Federer as this year's Wimbledon champion, believing the SW19 contest is over before a ball is served.

The rain delayed Roger Federer from getting his defence under way today, but Paddy Power believe only bad luck can prevent him equalling Bjorn Borg's Wimbledon record of five in a row.

The payout looks set to cost the Irish layers close to a six-figure sum whilst they are also refunding all bets on Brit Andy Murray following his 11th hour withdrawal yesterday.

Paddy Power, spokesman for the self named bookmaking firm, said: "No matter what the odds punters only wanted to back Federer. Wimbledon trophies are as regular as Swiss clockwork for the ace and once again it looks as much a certainty this year as rain stopping play."

Paddy Power is already offering just Evens that Federer goes on to break Borg's record with six in a row by winning the title this year and again in 2008.

RELATED LINK :
Our full page review of Paddy Power bookmakers.

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French Open - SportingOdds Free Bet Promo.

2007 French Open - SportingOdds Free Bet Promo

I'm not a great tennis fan - but I do like a good free bet offer !!

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Bodog Sportbook added to our list of approved bookmakers

BoDog Sportsbook make the grade and get the Thumbs up from The Gooner

Having analysed Bodog Sportsbook extensively over the last few months we'd like to welcome them into the stable of online sportsbooks and bookmakers used & recommended by the team at GoonersGuide.com.

With its Headquarters in Antigua, and gambling licences in the UK, Antigua and Kahnawake, Canada, Bodog offers a safe and potentially rewarding online entertainment solution.

Bodog has a great reputation for innovation, professionalism - and paying out - which is probably the most important thing on the internet these days.

Bodog offers a single, easy access account to play poker, casino games, and for sports betting and we recommend Bodog Sportsbook for recreational European bettors who want a hip place to play- and also for all US bettors who do not have access to our other sites.

With 10+ years of online experience you know that Bodog.com will payout all winnings - and all US players should definately have this outfit as one of their primary places to play.



Check out our review of Bodog Sportsbook on the main site or visit Bodog.com directly

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JustBet.com offer High Rollers US$250

Top Costa Rican bookie - JustBet.com - has just launched a new limited time joining bonus to entice new customers.

The deposit promotion is being Spring Bling and it is a pretty good deal.

This is a 50% match offer where new bettors who deposit $500 get an extra $250 in bonus cash.

A few Terms and Conditions apply:
(1) New customers only

(2) It's a one-time deal and capped at $500

(3) Your Deposit and Bonus funds are held for 90 days (you can bet and win - but can't withdraw)

(4) You must bet through (roll over) the deposit and bonus cash 7 times before withdrawing it and any winnings can be withdraw after rolling deposit and cash 3 times.

As you can see - this is no easy to clear bonus for "bonus whores" to snatch up - it's specifically designed to boost the bankroll of players intending to have a few bets.

Visit JustBet.com now to check it out - but you'll have to hurry the offer expires June 1, 2007

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION :

IF you want more info on this online bookie then here's a link to our main site review on JustBet.com.

Oh - and JustBet.com do take ALL players from ALL jurisdictions. I'm sure you North American punters know exactly what I mean by that.

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BetDirect have a FA Cup free bet

BetDirect offer FA Cup Free Bet

Here's a late breaking promotion from BetDirect

Place a win single bet of £25 or more on any market of the FA Cup final online from 8.30am this Saturday and if your bet is a loser, BetDirect will give you a £25 free bet on the Champions League Final.

Yes that's right - if you don't back a winner on the FA Cup Final you'll get another go on the Champions League Final !!

So if you've got a balance at BetDirect then they're definately worth considering as THE place to bet at least £25 on the FA Cup Final.

(just remember it's from 8:30am BST on Saturday - don't be too early).

But kudos to BetDirect for offering something to EXISTING customers ... and of course new players to BetDirect are eligible for a pair of £25 free bets when joining ...

(But I don't know if you can combine all this - and somehow get 3 x £25 free bets so you might have to check THAT out with them)

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Interwetten (82%) - The global bookmaker

Interwetten - Betting Since 1990

I know that Interwetten is a big name for online betting. They were my first online bookmaker in 1999 - and the first bookmaker that we ever reviewed and put on the site as a recommended place to bet.

Check out the latest interwetten review on the main site.

Anyway, I was going through my reporting from Interwetten last night looking at all the different countires that we have visitors who signed up there.

Punters from United Kingdom, Singapore, Turkey, Greece, France, Brazil, Slovenia, Australia have all joined up in the last month ... and I was thinking - wow it's pretty global.

Then I saw Iran (Islamic Republic of) ...

Uh-oh ... don't they chop your hands off if they find you gambling over there?! I don't know who you are mate - but keep your head down, and your hands in your pockets and keep safe !!

So - if he thinks it's worth the trouble - why aren't you playing at Interwetten - you'd be crazy to stay away!!
Join Interwetten Now

Sports - get 30% first Deposit bonus up to EUR 30
Casino, Poker and Games offered too.

Interwetten are rated as #7 in our bookmaker top 20 list - and recommended for short odds favourites.

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Chelsea v Liverpool - Money Back Special at Paddy Power

Paddy Power offering cash back deal on UEFA CL

I do like Irish bookmaker Paddy Power

They jumped up to second place on our bookmaker list (behind Bet365) in the last quarterly bookmaker review - and a big reason for that was their continual stream of money-back offers and refunds that they paid out to all betting customers - both new and existing punters.

CASH BACK IF CHELSEA V LIVERPOOL FINISHES 0-0
They're at it again on Wednesday night, offering the chance of getting your cash back on goalscorer, correct score and scorecast bets in the Chelsea v Liverpool game if it finishes in a 0-0 draw.

That's not an unlikely proposition at all, in fact the 0-0 score is priced at a lowish 6.50-7.00 at most bookies making it one of the favoured scorelines. They must be mad !

So it goes without saying that if you're considering a goalscorer, correct score or scorecast bet on Chelsea v Liverpool in midweek then you should be betting it at PaddyPower bookmakers - if you don't then you're just throwing away money to be playing anywhere else.

DON'T FORGET THE 3 x GBP £10 FREE BETS :
New Customers who join PaddyPower via our site also get 3 x £10 free bets if your first bet is a £30 single or more ...

Check out our PaddyPower bookmaker review and Paddy Power Free Bet offer page for more details.

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Centrebet 50 GBP bonus ends Thursday!!

Hurry for your €75 bonus

Phew! a tough weekend picking winners in the English Premier League - and no wonder with 7 of the 10 games ending in draws.

But we've got something to dull the pain of any financial losses as Aussie bookmaker Centrebet are still offerin their GBP £50 (or €75) Free Bet offer to all GoonersGuide.com users - until Thursday.

( That's also equivalent to 100USD / 125AUD / 75EUR / 600 NOK-SEK-DKK if you prefer a different currency )

So if you haven't joined up to CentreBet and got your £50 free bet then make sure that you use Centrebet for this weeks Champions League games !!

So - don't delay ... either visit CentreBet now ... or read our Centrebet Bookmaker review on the main site now.

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Did your horse fall in the Grand National ?

Victor Chandler pays out 300,000

Just a heads-up for punters ...

IF you bet on the Grand National at VC Bet and your horse fell over then you're eligable for the freebet courtesy of a GBP 300,000 payout by the bookmaker.

But that free bet is only open for 7 days - so make sure that you get along and spend it !!

Check out BookieLabRat.Com's Bonus News Section for more details or go straight to VCBet now.

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Who's the best bookmaker for ... correct score bets?

Which bookmaker is best for correct score betting

Now we will get into specific markets and deal with the question of

Which bookie is best for correct score bets?

WHAT IS CORRECT SCORE BETTING?
First let's start with an overview of correct score betting.

This style of betting is as simple as it sounds (in principal). You put down some cash on predicting an exact score in a football game - and if you win you get paid out at large prices ranging from 6.00 (5/1) to as much as 101.00 (100-1).

It attracts the young punter, and the desperate bettor because of the illusion of being easy money but the reality is that the bookmakers are trimming plenty of fat from their odds and these markets typically have an over-round of 130% to 150% meaning that the bookie will make a 30-50% profit no matter what result.

So - usually I'd say avoid correct score betting - and no bookie prices are really fair .... but there are three exceptions and we will go through each of them now.

(1) BACKING A STRONG DEFENSIVE SIDE TO WIN 1-0
We know the sort of team that I'm talking about - strong squad, with a great defensive back five and continental manager, that will be likely to take the lead and then sit on that lead until the end of the game.

Chelsea, Juventus, Liverpool are all sides to consider and the best place to play these bets are the mainstream bookmakers who make so much margin on this market overall that they are reluctant to change their prices quickly.

BEST BOOKMAKERS FOR THIS PLAN : Bet365 BetFred CanBet EuroBet Gamebookers and Ladbrokes as they'll all usually offer at least 6.00 for the 1-0 win.

(2) BETTING ON AN UNEXPECTED AWAY WIN
We've all seen games when the price on the home side is far too short - yes they should be favoured to win but not to the lengths that the odds say.

The price on the away win is at 3.50 or so which doesn't appeal, but the price on a 1-0 away win will usually be up around 9.00 to 10.00. Those prices are almost at fair value because when the underdog wins away from home then my stats show that about 40-45% of those wins are by a 1-0 scoreline.

The general betting public love their favourites - and they just don't believe that 12% of home bankers to end up as a loss - with the most likely upset scoreline a 1-0 win to the away underdogs.

However what's even better is that you can get onto the betting exchanges and put a lazy tenner on that scoreline and you'll get offered prices as high as 12.00 or 13.00 (12-1) for the bet.

So when you're betting against public opinion the best place to get a correct score bet on is the two main betting exchanges.

BEST BOOKMAKERS FOR THIS PLAN : Betfair and Betsson

(3) TAKING ADVANTAGE OF A SPEICAL PROMOTION.
The final way to make correct score betting pay is to take advantage of those bookmaker promotions that will pay out bonus money if you get a high scoring result.

Right now PremierBet are offering to payout a 100% bonus up to £250 if you take a bet that's at high enough odds as your first bet. (read the PremierBet bonus details here)

Now this strategy is not a banker bet (obviously) and you only get one shot at it (it must be your first bet remember) but it does mean that you get the odds on your side.

For correct score betting the relevant details are :
- odds of 5.50 to 9.00 mean a 40% bonus
- odds of 9.50 to 17.00 mean a 60% bonus
- bigger odds mean a 100% bonus.

So you can join up at PremierBet and place a wager of a £10 (€15) or more on your first bet and get a huge potential boost to your payout.

BEST BOOKMAKERS FOR THIS PLAN : PremierBet

SUMMARY :
Correct score betting is not a great long term strategy, but there are occassions when it can pay to have a look at these big priced bets.

Just remmber to :
- Use the biggest mainstream bookmakers for the 1-0 home wins
- Use the betting exchanges for the upset 1-0 away wins
- And risk a tenner on taking PremierBet's bonus challenge on.

Good luck.
;-)

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Who's the best bookmaker for signup bonuses?

Who is the best bookmaker for FREE Bets ?

Now we move onto one of the most common questions I'm asked by punters via email and on the forum ...

Who is the best bookmaker for FREE Bets ?

Ahhh ... free money.

It's true that money that is won by sports betting seems to be twice as sweet as money that is earned through hard graft - and nothing seems as sweet as that initial deposit bonus that online bookmakers offer.

BEWARE OF THE ROGUE BOOKMAKER
However it's also true that there is never a free lunch - and many of the rogue bookmakers out there will advertise huge bonus offers in order to entice unsuspecting punters to deposit their money ... knowing that they'll never actually payout.

So how do you avoid this trap? By being smart of course - and only using the bookmakers that we're prepared to endorse on the main site.

We offer a EURO €1000 guarantee for all accounts that are opened using the links on the main GoonersGuide.com betting site (as well as this blog). We stand behind punters who use and support this site.

Why bet online if you're not going to be paid out - don't take risks - play smart and use only the bookmakers that we've selected.

OK - with that out of the way lets get on with the awards.

OUR METHODS - SAFETY - SECURITY - GOOD ODDS
Over the course of the last five years we've checked out over 200 bookmakers and betting exchanges and from that we've selected the best twenty (or so) sites to be recommended on our site.

The most important criteria are things like safety, security, good customer support, and good betting odds. Having a good signup bonus is NOT a criteria is itself (as we've discussed above some of the biggest bonuses are offered by the worst type of bookies).

So after finding the best 20 sites - we now are prepared to answer the question about best bonuses - for these twenty sites. As we KNOW that you will not be ripped off.

GBP £20 to GBP £30 OFFERS
The first thing that we did was eliminate all bookies who are offering between GBP 20-30 to join up.

While that's a reasonable deal for small depositors, especially as most are 100% deposit match deals, it's small potatoes and not worth of the award.

Bookmakers in this group included : Betfred, Betfair, Globet, Gamebookers, Interwetten, Paddypower and SportingOdds.

So if you're betting with a small bankroll then you won't go wrong using these sites, and you can see that if you opened one account each weekend you could quickly get access to around £120 to £150 over a couple of months.

Nice! But you want more don't you? We thought so !!
;-)

GBP £50 to GBP £100 OFFERS
Then we move into the mid-tier bookmakers who are more serious about taking on action from punters. They'll offer a little bit more to you in the form of a free bet - but will often have some wagering restrictions to handle.

CenterBet will offer you a matched stake bet of up to £50 as long as your first bet is at odds of 1.90 or more. You'll also have to turnover the winnings 1x before withdrawal.

VCBet will also offer a matched £50 bet but your first bet must be at even money (2.00) or more and there is no turnover restriction.

Again we think that these are useful bonuses to collect - but they were not good enough to win the award - we wanted more !!
;-)

WINNER - BEST BOOKMAKER FOR SIGNUP BONUSES
(1) Canbet (Australian Bookmaker)

Canbet stood out and won the award for having not one but THREE offers to choose from on their sports betting side plus a further two more in Casino and Poker.

Sports Betting HIGHROLLER Offer
Register and make your first deposit at Canbet of £600 (€1050) or more and receive a 10% deposit bonus of up to £200 (€350). To redeem this bonus, simply enter the Promotional Bonus Code: HIGHROLLER, when registering an account.

There is a 4 x deposit + bonus turnover requirement, so if you Deposit £2000 you get an extra £200, and must play 2200 x 4 = £8800 before withdrawing it.

Sports Betting PLAYER Offer
Register and make your first deposit at Canbet of £60 more and receive a 20% deposit bonus of up to £60. To redeem this bonus, simply enter the Promotional Bonus Code: PLAYER, when registering an account.

This has a 3 x deposit + bonus turnover requirement, So £300 deposit earns a £60 bonus which must be turned over 3x (£1080) before withdrawing.

Sports Betting FREEBET Offer
The usual recreation bonus. Register and make your first deposit at Canbet of £20 or more and receive a £30 free bet. To redeem this bonus, simply enter the Promotional Bonus Code: FREEBET, when registering an account.

We felt that CANBET had tailored three pretty good offers to different segments of the market - and that the turnover requirements were not onerous at all

(Some US / Costa Rica bookamkers have 10x turnover restrictions)

HIGHLY COMMENDED BOOKMAKER FOR SIGNUPS
(2) PinnacleSports (Netherlands Antilles Bookmaker)

PinnacleSports actually offer a higher bonus of up to $500 if you deposit $5,000 (10%) and only a 3 x turnover restriction ...

But they also have a little clause that states that you can't withdraw your deposit or bonus for 30 days and you must depsoit a minimum of $250 to claim any bonus at all.

Still giving away $500 FREE is good enough to earn PinnacleSports the #2 spot.

HIGHLY COMMENDED BOOKMAKER FOR SIGNUPS
(3) Bet365 (UK bookmaker)

Bet365 offer non-UK customers a 15% first dpeoist bonus up to $500 with a 3x deposit + bonus turnover requirement

(see how quickly you get used to all the terms and conditions)

However, current UK restrictions mean that they cannot do the same for UK customers and instead provide their Bet Basket which offers up to four £25 FREE Bets after you've made several qualifying bets.

This geographic split and the complicated terms of the Bet Basket meant that Bet365 finished in the #3 spot.

SUMMARY
So there we have it - all the free bet signup bonuses explained in one easy place (webmasters feel free to link to the blog post) - and the top three bookmakers for signup bonuses are spelt out.

(1) Canbet (Australian Bookmaker)
(2) PinnacleSports (Netherlands Antilles Bookmaker)
(3) Bet365 (UK bookmaker)

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Who is the best bookmaker for Fixed Odds ?

Continuing on in our search for the best place to bet online ... and today we will handle the second most frequent question.

"Who is the best bookmaker for European football fixed odds betting?"

The most popular form of Sports Betting is simply betting on a team to win a match.

This is usually called fixed odds betting, or 1X2 betting (after the old football pools style) or Home-Draw-Away betting.

And it's just because it's so popular that makes this question so hard to answer - because the market is hugely competitive and finding the best bookmaker really does depend on exactly what you are betting on.

WE FOUND THE BEST BOOKMAKER ... BUT ...
At the end of last season (2005-06) we did a comprehensive analysis of all the bookmakers out there - taking odds from over 1000 matches spread over 6 different European football league in order to find the best odds.

The answer was clear - it was PinnacleSports who were the best price for 42% of favourites in European leagues and 45% of outsiders in English games.

Question solved !! Except that during the 2006 World Cup they took a beating and in July 2006 the PinnacleSports management team took a look at their books and found that they were being beaten by the UK and European football punters and promptly withdrew from those markets !!

That's right - they do not offer 1x2 betting on football anymore - except on the highest profile games - so they're no use to most football punters.

So now in order to answer this question of "Who is the best bookmaker for European football fixed odds betting?" we now need to give you a two part answer.

WINNER - BEST BOOKMAKER FOR FIXED ODDS - FAVOURITES
(1) Interwetten (Maltese Bookmaker)

That's right, European Bookmaker Interwetten are the #1 ranked bookmaker to try if you are looking for the best odds on a heavy favourite.

They do not seem to change their odds often after initially posting them - a fact which perhaps reflects that they usually have cheaper prices for outsiders - and this means that if you are cruising around looking to get a late bet on Chelsea, or Man Utd, or Barcelona or Inter Milan then a trip to the Interwetten site is usually in order.

We will retest at the end of this season - but right now we estimate that if a team is price at 1.50 or less then Interwetten are the best price a staggering 50% of the time.

Other highly commended sites were Paddy Power with 17% of English favourites, and Globet with 16% of European favourites.

If you bet on favourites then you need these bookmakers on your list of betting places.

WINNER - BEST BOOKMAKER FOR FIXED ODDS - LONGSHOTS
(1) Bet365 (UK Bookmaker)

This was a much more competitive field but the winner was Bet365 who were best priced for outsiders (teams at odds of 4.00 or more) 22% of the time.

Of course longshots are a tricky bet to land - and prices can change quickly if a team suddenly becomes a popular bet - but from what we monitored over the course of the 2005-06 season this UK bookamker stood out.

Other highly commended sites were Eurobet (13%), Paddy Power (13%), and Globet (10%).

SUMMARY
So there we have it - there is no single bookmaker that can guarantee the best odds - and depending on your style of betting you will need to choose 2 or 3 good reliable bookmakers to ensure that you are getting a good price.

But if you are just getting started then you need :
#1 FOR FAVOURITES Interwetten
#1 FOR LONGSHOTS Bet365

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Who is the best bookmaker for Asian Handicaps?

Let's start with an easy one first up ...

"Who is the best bookmaker for Asian Handicap betting on European Football?"


We have a big Asian readership on the site, particularly from Singapore and Malaysia, and Asian handicap betting in also gaining acceptance in Europe as well as punters see the potential value that can be had.

But this is an easy question for me to answer because there is one of my recommended bookmakers that stand out head and shoulders above the rest for AH betting.

WINNER - BEST BOOKMAKER FOR ASIAN HANDICAPS
(1) PinnacleSports (Netherlands Antilles Bookmaker)

PinnacleSports have the sharpest asian handicap odds on the internet, a good deposit scheme, and also allow free banking transactions every month - which all adds up to Curacao based bookmaker coming out as my top bookmaker for Asian handicap betting.

PinnacleSports regularly prices this market to an over-round of just 104% - meaning odds of 1.96 / 1.96 compared to most UK bookies who go to 108% to 110% which translates to a 1.90 / 1.90 price.

Pinnacle also have a generous 10% first deposit bonus up to $500 (if you deposit $5,000) which is attractive to bigger players, as well as having all the major banking options covered in respect to credit cards and e-wallets.

Throw in the fact that Pinnacle also allows one FREE deposit and one FREE withdrawal every month and it's relatively easy to see why I think that PinnacleSports are #1 in this market.

HIGHLY COMMENDED - BEST BOOKMAKER FOR ASIAN HANDICAPS
(2) Betfair (UK Betting Exchange)

Betfair are a quality betting destination, and their aggressive commission pricing on the asian handicap market of just 1% commission means that they should also be checked out by Asian handicap punters.

Being based in the UK means that they take all the usual options that UK and European punters expect, debit cards, credit cards, Moneybookers, Neteller, bank transfers and various money payment methods, and they're offering a £25 bonus as well.

However, on the downside market volumes on handicaps are still small outside the main games, and real liquidity only seems to kick in a couple of hours before the game starts, so the prices are still not as sharp as the PinnacleSports prices for many games - and available volumes can be quite small.

HIGHLY COMMENDED - BEST BOOKMAKER FOR ASIAN HANDICAPS
(3) Bet365 (UK bookmaker)

Coming in at #3 was Bet365, who have an aggressively priced set of odds that usually beats the rest of the market, but they cannot quite manage to match the first two sites on a regular basis.

Bet365 cover a wider range of games than either Pinnacle or Betfair though, and their handicap system is very flexible - allowing you to modify the handicap to choose the advantage that you'd like - although that will affect the price that you get - but it's still a nice touch.

With good bonus offers and a 100% rock solid base with plenty of bricks n mortar shops you know that your cash is safe with Bet365 and you can also use their one wallet system to find your poker and blackjack habit too.

SUMMARY
So there we have it - three quality sites for asian handicap players - and any one of these three will serve you well for the asian handicap markets.

UK punters may prefer to stay close to home, as there is more flexibility in the money management of the two UK sites, but (#1) PinnacleSports really are the best handicaps site out there and win the top recommendation.

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Who is the best bookmaker for ... ?

I get plenty of emails and PM's asking for help - and at least half of it is about one particular question ...

... "Gooner - who's the best bookie for me?"

And of course it's not an easy question to answer.


The short answer is ... "it depends".

The medium answer is ... "it depends on what you're betting on and how you bet. There are many styles of betting and many different markets - and so your personal best bookie will depend on exactly how you bet.".

And the long answer that actually tells you who is best suited is so involved that it would take many blog posts to write about - and that's exactly what I'm going to try do through a series of posts on this blog.

Hopefully I'll be able to get through one per day - so if you've got a betting style, situation, specialty sport, or some other factor that I haven't covered then feel free to raise it with me either here or on the forum.

So let's get on with it then ...

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Football Action for 30 Jan 2007

( All odds taken from Ladbrokes )

West Ham v Liverpool
Is Alan Curbishley the right man to keep West Ham up? Is Nigel Quashie really the answer to a midfield lacking fight? Is Lucas Neill worth a reported £70k a week?

West Ham fans will be hoping these questions are answered sooner rather than later but the Hammers are priced at 8/1 (9.00) to snatch a 1-0 win against Liverpool .. which tells you what the bookies think !!

Portsmouth vs Boro
Harry Redknapp's Portsmouth (5/6 or 1.83) continue to punch above their weight this season and currently sit in sixth position in the Premiership.

Pompey take on Middlesbrough at Fratton Park on Tuesday and are 7/1 ( 8.00) to win 2-1.

FA Cup Favourites
So Manchester Utd will face Premiership opposition once again. The Red Devils have drawn Reading in the fifth round of the FA Cup and, as a result, they are now 5/2 (3.50) to go all the way.

However, Chelsea, who meet Blackpool or Norwich in the 5th round are the 2/1 ( 3.00) shortest favourites.

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Paddy Power - Worth a look !!

Just scanning over the internet today looking for the days betting blog when I came across this entry at the Sports Bookie Blog.

They've taken a look at all the CASH BACK offers on at Paddy Power and found that the mad Irish bookie does actually pay out quite often.

Did you know about their "Necks on the Line” offer on the horses?
If your horse finishes second and is only beaten by up to and including a neck in a specific race then Paddy’ll refund your losing stake.

Apparently according to the LabRats he's paid out of 46 different occasions in the last six months on the nags.

I know nothing about horses - other than I've noticed that the fastest horses all have a leg in each corner - but that seems like some pretty good insurance - and well checking on if you're regularly punting on the races.

What I did know was their regular football bets ... and I see that they're offering a cash back offer on Wednesday night if Julio Baptista scores the last goal against Spurs (assuming he gets over a groin injury).

All-in-all We've found PaddyPower a pretty good bookie (you can find our detailed Paddy Power review here on the main site) and they're in my top 10 bookmakers.

A recommended bookmaker if you're looking for a fair site - that rewards loyal punters again and again and again.

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RELATED LINK :
Here is a beer link to Paddy Power Bookmakers that gives you £25 in free bets if you join up - and we get a free beer too
;-)

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PinnacleSports drops US players

It's being reported on the Sports Blog at BookieLabrat.com that top internet bookie PinnacleSports is leaving the US market.

I'll update this entry as more details become known.

UPDATE:
This has been confirmed by several guys on the forum who have been sent emails from the Customer Service department of PinnacleSports.

This leaves Mansion Exchange as one of the few remaining quality sites that will accept United States based players.

(Note US players can only bet on the exchange - not in the regular sportsbook - but the exchange is a person-to-person method that actually offers better prices anyway)

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Gavle Goat Form - Last 20 years.

Here is a "form guide" on the Gavle Goat over the last 20 years.

In 1985 the 12.5-metre high goat first made the Guinness Book of World Records. Burned down in January.

In 1986 the local merchants took over building the goat again. From this date on, two goats are built each year, one by the merchants and one by Vasaskolan. The big goat was burned down the night before Christmas Eve.

In 1987 the goat was carefully treated with fire-proofing. It still burned down the week before Christmas.

In 1988 the goat was spared. Its survival was now included on British betting lists.

In 1989 the goat burned down before it was even built. A public collection was taken up and a new goat was built, which burned down in January. In March 1990 another goat was built for the premiere of the film "Black Jack".

In 1990 the goat was spared. Many volunteers guarded it.

In 1991 the goat was accompanied by an advertising sleigh - which turned out to be an unauthorised construction. It burned on Christmas Eve morning. It was rebuilt to be sent to Stockholm in a campaign to stop the closing of the I 14 regiment.

In 1992 the goat burned after eight days. The Vasaskolan goat burned the same night. It was built again, but burned again on 20 December. The starter of all three fires was arrested.

In 1993 the Vasaskolan goat made the Guinness Book of World Records, measuring 16 metres high. It was spared this year.

In 1994 the goat was spared.

In 1995 the goat burned down on Christmas Day morning. It was rebuilt for the town's 550th anniversary.

In 1996 the goat survived. For the first time it was monitored by a web camera.

In 1997 the goat survived with minimal damage by fireworks.

In 1998 the goat burned on 11 December, despite a snowstorm. It was built again.

In 1999 the goat burned a few hours after being built. A new one was in place for St. Lucia Day.

In 2000 the goat burned a few days before New Year's. In 2001 the goat burned on 23 December. The starter of the fire, a 51-year-old man from USA, was arrested.

In 2002 the goat survived.

In 2003 the goat burned down two nights before St. Lucia Eve. A new goat was in place about a week later and it survived in one piece.

In 2004 the goat burned down on 21 December, three days before Christmas. The goat was not rebuilt.

In 2005 the goat burned down on 3 December. A new goat was in place on 8 december and managed to survive.

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Note that most companies have suspended all betting on this now - with only SportingOdds offering a tiny odds of 1/5 on the NO (the goat will survive).

Here is the Gavle Goat Webcam link again - if you want to see how it's going.

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Choosing your first bookie

We get plenty of requests on the forum for recommendations on the "best bookie".

Now we do a lot of work in testing and ranking our favourite bookmakers and also in finding the best free bet offers but it's still a bit of work to match them up to each punter.

This depends a lot on what the person is looking for - and some of the criteria could be things like :

What is your Favourite Sports
European Football, American Football (NFL / NCAA), Tennis, Other sports.

What is your Preferred Competitions
Main Leagues Only = English Premier, Italian Serie A, Spanish La Liga (etc)
Minor Leagues as well = Turkish leagues, Australian league, Jpanese leagues, Lower divisions.

Which markets do you prefer ?
1x2 Betting, Handicaps and AH betting, Over/under or special bets.

Are other features important?
Ease of use, Money transfer options, Joining bonuses.

All these factors will go into finding the best bookmaker for your betting sport, style and league type and it does take a while to find the best bookie that matches to your type.

For most UK punters who are just start out betting online - we recommend four places that are safe, reliable, cover a lot of local games and styles and off a nice free joining bonus.

1) Bet365 = 92% (see Bet365 Review)
2) BetFred = 85% (see BetFred Review)
3) SportingOdds = 80% (see SportingOdds Review)
4) PaddyPower = 75% (see PaddyPower Review)

Depositing GBP 30-50 in each of these four bookies and playing it through will see you earn a series of bonuses (which is always nice) - and you'll get a feel of which of these bookies suits you best.

American and European punters will have slightly different tastes and requirements and will almost certainly prefer different books.

US punters seem to be happiest at :
1) PinnacleSports = 91% (see PinnacleSports Review)
2) CanBet = 77% (see CanBet Review)

And all US players are welcome at both these books - no state restrictions.

While European punters seem to prefer :
1) Bet365 = 92% (see Bet365 Review)
2) EuroBet = 78% (see Eurobet review)
3) Interwetten = 60% (see our Interwetten review)

So get in there and choose your first couple of bookies (it's always recomemnded to try at least 2-3 in order to compare what's best) and see how you find them with a small deposit.

Then you can continue on with your favourites - or come back and check the reviews in more detail - as you'll probably have a much better idea of what you're looking for in a bookie.

Good luck with your punting.

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