UK bookies to adjust BOG horseracing offer to cope with FOBTs shortfall
William Hill and Paddy Power are among the first operators to change their horseracing terms and conditions
Leading UK bookmakers are set to announce a raft of changes to their Best Odds Guaranteed (BOG) terms and conditions on all UK and Irish horseracing.
EGR Intel understands Paddy Power and William Hill are two of the first major operators to change their horseracing Ts and Cs by stopping BOG promotions before the day of the race.
An email seen by EGR suggests some Paddy Power punters will only be able to partake in their BOG promotion from 8am on the day of the race, while Hills’ BOG offer will apply from midnight.
Hills also looks likely to scrap its First Past The Post rule, but its £500 minimum bet liability (MBL) for all bettors on UK and Irish races will remain. Hills’ changes are expected to go live by 4 May.
One prominent racing tipster described BOG offers on evening prices as “a relative gold mine that is hard to sustain”, with other bookmakers expected to unveil their own rule changes shortly.
One off-the-record source at a leading UK operator told EGR Intel that horseracing changes will soon be commonplace as bookies with a strong retail presence try to cope with the FOBT shortfall.
The source said: “Like all bookies we are constantly reviewing our offering. We must look at everything now because our retail estates are in danger.
“For almost 10 years, bookies have been giving more and more generous offers and more and more money back guarantees and it has got to a critical mass.
“Everybody will be reviewing what they give and what offers they are prepared to do because they have to – we have no choice,” they added.