Betfair's first day

[Profit Seeker]

When did Betfair start? The very first day it covered every horse race there must have been next to no money available. Getting the word out must have been a nightmare. I've been on line for a few years and I only stumbled on it over a year after it was up and running. I never saw any advertising of it until recently either.

[Roberto]

The very first day it covered every horse race there must have been next to no money available.
This is a bit like wondering how they sold the first fax machine.

I think the reality was that it started off with plenty of "house" money.

[tophatter]

That reminds me of a Paul Merton gag.

He said he saw a plaque at some tube station or the other (ive forgotten the name) and it sasid this is the first tube station opened on such and such day.

Merton said (quite rightly) what was the point of that where was the tube going to if that is the only station!

[Profit Seeker]

Nah, fax machines are dull and boring and I have no use for one :D

[tophatter]

I can remember looking at betfair and not really understanding it about 5 years ago. Now I don't know what I would do without it!

[MattR]

That reminds me of a Paul Merton gag.

He said he saw a plaque at some tube station or the other (ive forgotten the name) and it sasid this is the first tube station opened on such and such day.

Merton said (quite rightly) what was the point of that where was the tube going to if that is the only station!

Yes similar to the one about Notts County being the first football team. Who did they play then? :D

[Profit Seeker]

I can remember looking at betfair and not really understanding it about 5 years ago. Now I don't know what I would do without it!
Same here. Once I got the general idea, I put money on whichever horse had the biggest figure on the lay side a minute before the off. Built up a few quid ya know. Soon :spermed it all though :(

[presto]

and what was the guy who first milked a cow thinking :doh

despite what betfair say - they did not invent the betting exchange.- i think the people who started the betting exchanges were part of a horse racing forum. who wanted a better way to place bet's than the bookies, so they offered each other bet's - nothing fancy like IR, but word soon spread and others joined in, then some bloke made a basic 'exchange' and took a cut - thus the betting exchange was invented.

[bigcumba]

Before Betfair there was flutter.com - Betfair took them over eventually, but Flutter were started by a couple of guys who wanted to have bets against each other no matter where they were in the world....

[Win2Win]

Business: Betfair.com
Start date: Flutter.com - July 1999 (Betfair launched June 2000)