Online Bookmakers - Are they as stupid as we think ?

Brent,contrary to your point about education,I think education is what cures spread-bettors.Everybody I know who got involved in punting spread bets got hurt badly at some stage or other,so most"learnt the hard way" and turned it up.
I got my lesson very early and very cheaply but the realisation of what might of been,cured me of gambling with open ended liabilities.
(imagine having gone short on AB De Villiers for even for as little as R10 a run....ouch)
I also think that the fact that a lot of the "match fixing" that has come to light,in the various sports,has been in the spreads area( areas within the match)and has made punters wary.
I'm not sure if internationaly,spread betting has not been superceded to some extent by trading,( buying and selling prices "in running") on exchanges,which to me is less dangerous,and twice as much fun.That is my addiction!!!

Local spread-betting firms are pathetic.
For instance, you cannot close part of your bet in running – you either have to close the whole bet or take an opposing bet for a lesser stake.
With sportsbet, a spread cannot be closed online – you have to phone.
BetX, more often than not, do “phone trading only” – by the time the clerk, gives you the spread quote, 3 wickets have gone down or the batsman have scored 30 runs – they always, without fail quote the fixed odds first, then, when it dawns on them what is requested, they have to ask someone else what the quote is.
And of course you need money in your account that you cannot lose, simply to take a bet.
Spread-betting with a proper firm is as much fun as trading fixed odds in running on an exchange. – my addictions

Thanks for the spreads comments guys

Harris at R500 a pop I am not surprised you are scared of spreads.

Personally I gave up cricket spread betting on individual batsman innings a few years back - hated the fact that 1 ball, dropped catch or poor decision could do me in - stick mainly to rugby and series spreads these days - about 80% of my betting t/o is spreads.

Rob, you do have a stop loss/win so your maximum liablities are known but I agree spreads are not for everyone. To my knowledge the word spread has been loosely used in match/spot fixing - think it was more to do with fixed odds but I stand to be corrected.

Fingers, to the guys that do it I say thanks and at least we have something - not at international standard but then those spread companies are specialists something which we don't have.

I cannot tolerate or thank rank bad service -
"thank you mr.bookie for closing my account, cutting my limits, giving bad service, etc?"
or "thank you teletrack and the tote - at least we have something?"