The More Things Change.........The More They Remain The Same

With the exception of the odd occasion when I have been really bored I have been more or less out of regular punting since 2019.
There were a number of reasons why I stopped although it had nothing to do with affordability.
A week or so ago I had a brain fart and decided to have an ante-post bet on the 2023 Rugby World Cup. This is how it panned out :

I started off with my bookmaker who advised me that he could no longer accomodate a strike of the size I was seeking due to changed circumstances in the betting market. He did, however, offer me a substantial bet which I declined. No problem and no hard feelings.

I then turned to Hollywood where I actually happen to have an account. This was a particularly interesting exercise. Again - no hard feelings - as it simply re-inforces my new found theory that betting is simply a waste of time, effort and money........the 'entertainment' that it is supposed to provide is so riddled with bad service that it is not worth the pain.

1.) To their credit Hollywood actually had a market on the event.
2.) They were offering odds 20% below the international prices. (Given that they operate internationally it must be wonderful to lay, for example, 5/1 and immediately take back 6/1 if need be).
3.) Over a period of three days I managed to place two cash bets for a total of R3,022 (hardly a fortune!) wagered. When I attempted a third bet it was blocked with the message that I had exceeded the limit.........

This is the part where I find electronic betting really stupid.

I appreciate any layer not wanting to 'get caught' with a huge bet and limited time to do anything about it.
But this event is only due to start in September 2023!!!! Does this imply that I cannot place another bet on the same side in the event if I wish to do so?
Ante-post betting is not very popular in South Africa with most punters betting on a 'race-by-race' basis. Consequently it appears that electronic betting systems are completely unsuited to accomodate multiple ante-post plays on the same team.
Any sensible system which wanted to incorporate limits would surely re-calibrate every 24 hours (or weekly at worst) to allow a punter to continue wagering.
This merely underlines the reality that a combination of very average odds, limits and the sheer inconvenience of striking a bet makes the whole process an activity only attractive to a complete betting addict. And that's before I even start on the issue of them sitting with my cash for 11 months! Nice business.

4.) Given all of the above I decided to withdraw the pittance still in the account, apply it elsewhere or take my better half out to dinner.
5.) After 3 attempts (18th, 21st & 23rd November) there is still no money in my account and the transaction has not been effected.
6.) I then foolishly reverted to attempting to chat to an agent to resolve the problem. I have made a number of attempts - each of which has involved me staring at my screen and waiting for 10+ minutes for the 'next available agent' - without ever connecting to anyone. The funds are still in my betting account although the Hollywood website reflects them as paid a number of days ago.

I console myself by taking it as a sign that my team probably would not have won in any event. So thanks to the universe and Hollywood for obstructing me.

And I naively believed things were getting better.

Garrick, i echo every sentiment that you highlighted.
I actually see myself in the same position that you have so deliberately pointed out.
they say you will find a time to get married, and the tiredness of jolling will point you in the direction of settling down, similarly in racing.

I am just tired of these rules and limits and agro that goes with it, and about a month ago , I told my wife that i dont wanna see another bookie , establishment and this was also not about the money.
in fact these few weekends, i've spent more when out with the family etc than i would have if i went racing, but hey there was no agro.

when you think about it , being a bookmaker is the only business right now that throws their customers away, and that in itself is also leading to racing and sports betting demise.

As much as we say the operator is not doing enough to hold and build their product , the flipside is the other part of the success of the industry which lies in ultimately the bookie coming to the party and making it a wholesome experience , is sadly lost.

Adding to the 'wet blanket' viewpoint ..... service levels in the country have gone even further down the tubes .... yesterday I tried to contact Telkom as my 'integrated SIM' stopped working (and I need that with all this Load-Shedding sh*t) - seemed to be aligned with them offering me an upgrade to a 100 mbps package; after being shunted from here to there (and one guy telling me that 'we don't offer that anymore') - I attempted to log in to my Telkomsa,Net account (to check my products) - only to find that my pw does not work anymore

I then tried the contact center again just to have my pw re-reset - tried on their 'customercare' website as well - but on there the SMS re-setting a pw did not work - 'please call 10210' - which I did - but no luck - still sitting with the same issue 24 hours later

Such a mission to get broken stuff working again