Why are some bookies not available on the ATM?

For Premium members the ATM lists around 20 bookies. This jumps to around 60 for Premium+ and Pro members. The reason for such a large difference is due to the way many bookies feel about sports bets.

Bookies in Australia fall into two broad categories: Corporates and Rails. Corporates are large, publicly listed, companies. Rails are small operations, often run by just a single person.

Most rails bookies come from a background in horse racing (the name 'rails' comes from the fact that they would have a stand beside the rail at a racetrack). As a result, many of them are not keen on taking bets on other sports. This is especially true if it is a bet with a high win liability (e.g. a bonus bet at high odds), or a bet on an obscure market.

If you make the mistake of using your bonus bet on sports at these bookies you may find yourself prematurely gubbed. In some cases (e.g. PlayUp) using a bonus bet on sports will get you gubbed automatically.

To protect beginners from this risk we do not make these bookies available on the Premium ATM. 

Premium members who need to place bets at these bookies should use HorsePower instead. The Premium version of HP includes every bookie.

Members with a Premium+ or Pro subscription should hopefully be more aware of the risks involved in betting on sports at rails bookies. For that reason, we include all bookies on their version of the ATM so that they can make their own choices.