Originally <a href='/showthread.php?p=16778002'>posted</a> on 11/14/2012:

Quote Originally Posted by HedgeHog View Post
The original agreement was a free half point on everything except the NFL 3. BI has obviously re-negged on this deal w/o any notification whatsoever. Yes, still a good perk, but how about honoring the original deal when people first deposited?
While I agree with you in principle, HH, that it would be nice if books could simply honor their promotions and offerings in perpetuity, I have some empathy for Jon in this case. Offering a free .5 on NFL 7's and NCAAFB 3's and 7's is the kind of move that can and has crippled sportsbooks to insolvency; that's just too much EV to give away for any book that isn't screening accounts to ensure a losers-only client base. So rewriting the terms of that offering actually serves to demonstrate to us some of Jon's bona fides as a bookmaker.

Since I've never lasted long at the losers-only books, I'm happy to see sportsbooks evolve and adapt to the results of their decisions like this rather than just boot anybody with half a clue. I'm also sensitive to the obvious difficulties of customer acquisition in the current American post-up world, where new books are largely at the mercy of affiliates like SBR to provide them with access to new clients and often have to surrender nearly half of their incoming revenue for the privilege. Even then, new books like BI have to give away the store at first just to persuade people to give them a shot, because the very nature of post-up is like giving a random stranger walking past your house $100 to buy the liquor for your party and praying he or she keeps their word.

Truth is, I don't play at BI nor do I intend to, but all of the people I know who do verify Jon's claims of paying promptly, and in my estimation that alone forgives a great many faux pas. His moves do suggest that he's learning as he goes, but at least he's learning! How many books have we seen come and go that didn't or don't even possess that simple ability, to recognize a mistake and formulate a solution? Heritage, BetOnline, BetPhoenix, RebateWager, Jazz, WSEX, EZStreet and the list goes on. All of those guys are guilty of locking the doors only after the thieves had taken what they wanted, but maybe that won't be the case here.

You know it's a peculiar relationship we have with our bookies, one where we'd like to be able to rape and pillage their offerings to our hearts' content, and yet expect them to always deal with us fairly and professionally. We have to take that into account when we judge them, and also remember how badly we need good bookmakers these days. I don't sense an intentional bait-and-switch here, just a calculated reaction to the results of an overly generous promotion.