Why doesn't matchbook just put up every game?

[FightForCalifornia]

This is what I don't get. One of the great advantages of the exchange system is that they should hypothetically be able to list moneylines for every single upcoming game, and let people bet on them if they want. There's no downside.

For example, they could list every NCAA footaball game (or just GOTY) and let people make offers on moneylines for any game they want. If other people out there want to take it, then great, if not then there's no harm done. Obviously they can't have point spreads up, but I would love to bet on teams to win specific games before the season starts.

Is there any real reason why they don't do this?

[cincy_1]

Good point.
Maybe it's just that they haven't thought of it.

[bookie]

The downside is that there will be a lot of games no one wants to bet, and people on boards like this will start referring to it as "a ghost town."

Another perceived downside is that the more games you have up the harder the site is to navigate, and they seem to be trying to do everything they can to make the site non-scary for the casual bettor.

[Dark Horse]

They're inconsistent. Sometimes they would include 1H wagers for the NBA, and the next day they wouldn't. Last time I checked they offered WNBA sides but not totals. That doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I understand that an exchange can't offer the variety of a regular book, but at least be consistent about what you do offer.

[Santo]

Re: DH it probably depends what markets the Market Makers requested. They by and large only put up markets they have somebody willing to take 2-way on it seems.

[austintx05]

I thought you were done with the NBA

[Dark Horse]

What can I say? Good to know that you're not.

[vanzack]

I have had discussions with the directors of MB about this very issue.

All I can tell you is MB feels very clearly and strongly that it is in their best business interest, and the overall interest of the concept to not have stagnant markets.

MB employs market makers. These market makers guarantee action in return for discounted commissions and other incentives. These market makers simply will not agree to put up offers on NCAA football games 2 months ahead of time. They put up a lot of money on contests that have established lines and that they cant get killed on, and asking a serious investor to throw offers up on games that are 2 months away is almost a silly question.

So without market makers involved, there is a very good chance that these markets would remain stagnant, or with very limited volume. MB simply has a very strong policy at the business development level that they do not want this.

Think about their possible reasoning. It makes sense. Anyone who would go there and peruse through the NCAA football section and find 12 dollars offered on the biggest opening game might simply say "this place sucks" and move on. Dont forget, most people that bet dont come to a message board and are not intimately familiar with MB yet, so seeing stagnant markets are an immediate turnoff.

MB does a couple of things exactly right. But those couple of things are SO right that they are a must for anyone serious about making money sportsbetting. Those "right" things are betting sides and totals on all major sports. The fact that you will be able to bet these NCAA football games at 1-2 cents juice is so important that you will play there. But what they dont offer you can get elsewhere if you want - parlays, teasers, props, and early lines.

MB management is intimately aware of this "early line" issue as well as other obvious issues posted, but simply put they are happy being the absolute best place to make a side or total wager for any amount at reduced juice. Their business plan does not include the tolerance for stagnant markets.

[vanzack]

BTW - if any of you are willing to act as market makers and guarantee offers, they will put up lines on cochroach races.

So if some of you want to put up money on all early lines, and continue to replenish those offers until kickoff, I am very sure MB will put up lines right now for NCAAF.

[Dark Horse]

Very good explanation. Thanks.

[Santo]

I considered offering to MM WTA for a while, but the problem is that I think the only bites you'd get on those kind of markets would be when your line is off current market. There isn't yet the critical mass of somewhere like Betfair for those kind of sports.

[vanzack]

I considered offering to MM WTA for a while, but the problem is that I think the only bites you'd get on those kind of markets would be when your line is off current market. There isn't yet the critical mass of somewhere like Betfair for those kind of sports.

And this is exactly why market makers dont want to take this stuff on. They would get killed when a line is wrong, and have nowhere to make that up on other lines because there would be no volume.

[LVHerbie]

why would you want someone tying up their money for six months when you, most likely, they will get a bet out of them when the game eventually comes around anyhow? plus you let them bet their money over and over in the mean time and you can get a dozen or more commissions out of them up that point...

Honestly, I don't think books would even offer futures markets except the juice is so high in the the book's favor... I don't think it makes much since to have a players money tied up for six months when all you are going to get out of them is a 2% commission...

[FightForCalifornia]

Vanzack - Thanks for explaining it to me. Why don't they just offer like 10 marquee games then? I'm sure people would be willing to put money on LSU/VT, WVU/Louisville, USC/Nebraska, etc. right now as well as bigger week 1 games, and then go from there?

[vanzack]

Vanzack - Thanks for explaining it to me. Why don't they just offer like 10 marquee games then? I'm sure people would be willing to put money on LSU/VT, WVU/Louisville, USC/Nebraska, etc. right now as well as bigger week 1 games, and then go from there?

Because market makers wouldnt touch these games. They have nothing to gain. They would end up with a bunch of 10 dollar fan bets and a couple of huge bets because lines are bad or there is steam. They have nothing to gain and plenty to lose.

And without the market makers, even the top 10 games will look like a ghost town. The regular bettor simply isnt interested in having their money tied up for 2 months. The only people willing to do this are the same people who look to take advantage of bad lines.

MB's business model doesnt want stagnant markets. Unless someone can come up with a decent argument why putting up 10 NCAAF lines right now wouldnt be stagnant I cant say I disagree with them.

[Arilou]

As someone who has done some limited Market Making for them, I found that the key is that there is a fixed cost to watch every line you put up (or a different one to not watch it). If you leave a line up and don't pay VERY close attention, the few times you get killed make up for all the juice you write. So there has to be enough volume to make it worth paying attention.

I have also requested lines be offered, and had those requests accepted. Once I got very good results from it, but most of the time you end up putting up offers and getting very little action. I liked what I got, but it was not worth the effort. For an idea of how quiet things would get, consider MLB or NBA in the morning: Before about 10am eastern, there's nothing, and only by giving them the best of the market do you ever fill anything large early. Because others wait, you wait too, etc.