Originally posted on 09/20/2007:

Pinnacle is/was a true betting market for most US sports. Few other books could get an idea of where the odds should be based on their own customer base which is why every other sportsbook was glued to Don Best. Pinnacle users controlled their line in a lot of cases which controlled the line in most US leagues for the industry.

An over simplified example (that doesn't take into account the buying pts drop-down), if Heritage Sports moved the line 3 points on their own, Heritage is going to get nailed on their unique line and take lopsided action. If Pinnacle moves 3 points other books will quickly come that way too. If Heritage doesn't follow Pinnacle they risk getting piled on at the soft number.

When Pinnacle gets all of the sharp opinions coming in Pinnacle itself will have a sharp opinion and can manipulate the line.

Pinnacle undercut everyone relatively early on and earned big market share and pretty much made it real hard for other books to have any kind of opinion. For years it made a lot of linemen frustrated. For another book to attempt to be a Pinnacle at that time it would have to go up against Pinnacle and try to find ways to get a jump on a position. Mansion seemed like the only book that could take huge hits as they snatched up market makers but we know how that ended.

Cascade had confidence in their 105 lines because they moved with Del Mar and Grande and never did an early line stuff at -105.

I would bet the other big boys could get it done today but they probably figure it is not broke so don't fix it. They probably have the same mindset they did before Pinny, that there is enough to go around. Add to that that Pinnacle still moves numbers. Just because they aren't in the US does't mean the path is clear.