Wildey wrote:SnookerFan wrote:For the players, this is a good deal.
They're getting paid to do something they would be doing anyway, practice.
Hearn makes a bit more money out of it, the betting companies who sponsor most of the tour get their own little exclusive present.
As a business deal, it's quite meaningful. As a snooker competition it's pointless. From fans perspective, it's pointless.
Not pointless for those who organise it or enter it.
Ive thought of this and i cant work out What Bookies or Hearn gets out of it yea its obvious what the players get out of it theres really good money to be had and Practice But from a buisness perspetive does not make any sense what so ever.
Well, they must be making money out of it, or they wouldn't do it.
These events are streamed live on booking websites. There are enough people out there that will put big enough bets on each game for it to make a profit. Gambling is big business, and some people will gamble no matter what the sport. Irregardless of whether they know anything about it or not. If the Championship League is on their favourite betting site, and a free stream for snooker comes up, they'll take a punt on it. That's why the matches are so short. Nobody cares about the watching of the game, just who wins. There must be enough people betting on these games, or the Championship League just wouldn't happen. And with short matches being almost a lottery, it's too hard to predict games. Ergo, a lot of people losing money on it. Profit for the bookies.
As to Hearn, I suspect the reason he's doing it is to keep the bookies sweet. The bookies throw the majority of sponsorship into the game. If they all got the hump and left, so would pretty much all of the sponsorship money and snooker would be ruined. As much as Hearn likes to boast that he's the boss, he has to keep his tongue firmly in the gambling firm's anus. Their money is keeping the sport afloat. So, if he can get the players to play the odd frame here or there so the betting companies to make profit, he will. Keeps them sweet. It may even be that he's negotiated himself part of the profit too, if they're making enough.
It's all a bit elicit. He's essentially prostituting the players out to keep the gambling firms sweet. But, to continue the analogy, the prostitutes are well paid for it. So aren't really complaining.