Mediation board DOES NOT WORK!

[bgeorgia]

How can it? The sportsbooks and players both know that ultimately the masses of players, publicity, good or bad will determine what a sportsbook is to do when a problem arises. Variables such as past record, the player's reputation and other intagibles will make the decision an easy one. when they become dicey, the weight of the masses will make the decision. no board can do that. ask yourself this question if you are a player.

would you want 500-1000 savvy players making a decision or a board of 3 or 4 people? Its ludicrous. You have a gripe jusy come right here. This forum IS THE BOARD. the biggest damn board in the industry. just ask the 32 books that sit here. they will tell you.
'nuff said.

brian

[reno]

Brian, but aren't they actually insuring a player's money up to a certain amount if he gets stiffed by one of the books they mediate?

[Bman66]

Good point, Reno. I like the concept especially since they are in no way affiliated with the book in regards to advertising revenue and whatnot.

[bgeorgia]

reno,

i believe there is some arrangement with players being "insured". i wonder why a wwts or other similar book of similar reputation would have someone "insure" the player. these books that are on this list of insured players do not need anybody to cover for them. it is howver a good marketing move on both parties side to attract newbies with a policy they will never need. certainly, a wwts can find someone who would insure their business and/or players for 2k.

these books are not going anywhere and people will get payed. let me re-iterate that from a marketing standpoint this is one slick move.

brian

[sportshobby]

I think the real utility of this insurance to the players would be for lesser-known books. These books might be solid, but most players don't know them well. Perhaps they're offering a promotion or "off" lines that the player is interested in, but not comfortable enought to post up.

[bgeorgia]

sportshobby,

you are correct. however, this will not happen. that is a RISK. there is no risk in insuring WWTS or anybody else on the list. Hell, you have a better chance of the insurer going belly up that the insured. its ludicrous. You cannot blame any book for joining this group of so called "insured" books. pure marketing, nothing else.


[This message has been edited by bgeorgia (edited 09-07-2000).]

[thedevil]

To the best of my knowledge and feel free to correct me but even drivers that had never been in an accident for 20 years sometimes get into fender benders. That's why they have insurance, just in case.

Didn't Chrysler go bankrupt.

Is it impossible for something to happen to one of the books on "The List" or any book for that matter.

Why bring up WWTS they aren't on The List.

If you check out the "list" you will see that there are no giants on it as yet. The books on it are quality books on the way up.

The Devil

[This message has been edited by thedevil (edited 09-07-2000).]

[phaedrus]

BG:

I respectfully disagree, if a book agrees to be mediated (and agrees to abide by the mediators decision) then i believe its a win win for the sportsbook and the customer. I happen to think that the mediated list idea, and the securing of funds happen to be two of the smartest ideas that have come along on these posting forums.

Also you guys are confusing the issue, The mediated lists are not the books that are insured, the two are seperate (as far as i can tell).

IMO Both offer good value to the customer, and probably to the sportsbook as well.

As for your question "would you want 500-1000 savvy players making a decision or a board of 3 or 4 people?"

Well i would rather have the 3-4 mediated panel Because the books have agreed to abide by their decision.

The books don't abide by what is said here in BWORLD or elsewhere for that matter, if that were the case Books like Bowmans (who only seems to get negative posts in here) would change their ways to go with "the board".

Bottom line these boards represent such a miniscule percentage of the intended market for the sportsbooks (although BWORLD seems to have the lions share of the lot).

To call the moves by Major "slick marketing" is a bit misleading, All these posting forums (and i do mean all of them) are nothing more than marketing machines, Bworld has one thing going for it, It has a higher level of posters, and more "respect" and possibly even traffic than the others.

But in the end they are all using the same bulletin board software and it all boils down to the users, if people en masse were to decide to post over any other posting forum - the tables would be reversed.

Of course that is just my opinion, i don't claim for it to be fact...

[Ronbets]

phaedrus,

You didn't strike me as a home run hitter, but you just hit a Ruthian shot!

[bsky2]

When the Devil first approached the posters here about this idea, I and many others thought he had a winner. He took an idea and now it looks like he has a winner.

As more and more books sign on either as insured or willing to allow ********** to mediate discrepencies, this can only help the folks that are skeptical about posting offshore make a better decision. I think they deserve a job well done.

"Its better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it".

[sportsbank]

phaedrus/bsky2

very well said......


Sportsbank.

[bgeorgia]

it is good we can all disagree without crap. i will make this final points that i believe are undisputable.
1) insurance is nothing more than a very good marketing move on both the insurer and the insured. from a practical standpoint it raises questions/confusion on the players part as to why a book would be require insurance from an unknown entity.

2) the mediation board will make a decision. meybe the right one maybe the wrong one.when the players get the facts they will either frown or smile. the book will disregard many decisions and do what is in the best interest of their book. if the board decides for the book and the players scream the book might very well pay the player in the name of good business and and act of good faith.

Brian

[sportshobby]

Certainly a mediation board is useless if its decision is not binding on both parties. Is that the case here?

[thedevil]

Sportshobby,

The answer is yes. The mediation boards decision is binding between both parties.

The only way it goes to mediation is if the book is listed and the player has signed up.

Once either the book or the player places the request and both parties agree,the panel convines and then the decision is binding and final.

The Devil


[This message has been edited by thedevil (edited 09-07-2000).]

[Joe]

Brian,

Sorry to say, but your 2 irrefutable facts are about to be refuted.

1) If you were to board a bus on a cross-country trip and as you were sitting down the driver gets on the mike and says "Good morning ladies and gents, just want to let you know that I have been driving this route for 30 years without an accident, that is why I do not have any insurance..."

Question - do you sit down or get off the bus?

2) You say "...the book will disregard many decisions and do what is in the best interest of their book..."

This is a question of ethics. Are you a man of your word or aren't you? Are there books owned by liars?...Yes...Are ALL books owned by liars?...I really hope not.