OLBG Help

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Registration

Didnt Recieve Welcome Email?

The email system is working fine but a few people especially those on AOL sometimes have problems. Check spam filters, spam boxes, or anything else that might be blocking mail from new sources. If that fails try a different email address. If you havent received the welcome email and clicked the link then if you try to login with your correct username and password you will be given options to both
a) resend the welcome email
b) reset your email, which will then allow you to choose a new email address

Account Suspended?

Most suspensions occur because a tipsters details appear very similar to those of another tipster so we like to clarify that these are in fact 2 different people. Once this is resolved to our satisfaction then the account is normally reinstated.

More than One Account?

Sorry - to make the competition as fair as possible each person is only allowed one account and you are not allowed to cancel and set up a new one if things go badly.
Also you are not allowed to cancel your account and start again as this makes a mockery of players historical profits, messes up alerts & is confusing for other users.

Account Deleted?

To keep the site running fast we do periodically delete inactive accounts. Any account where you havent logged for over3 months will be mailed twice to confirm you still want it, after which it is deleted if you do not respond. Having a reliable email is also key - if we try to contact you and the email bounces you have 30 days to login (where you will be prompted to set a new email) before your account is deleted

Why do you need My Email?

We need your email for a few things

1. Every month we send out an email with the results of the previous months tipster competition and any site news

2. There are various alerts you can set up if you like for tips, free bets, new events etc. You are in complete control of these so you can completely stop them at any time just by logging in and changing your preferences. They're very popular though so you'll probably want them. The default option when you join is to get none of these alerts.

3. Within the forum there is a private message system and various alerts to let you track if people make posts to threads etc. Your email is used for these alerts and alerts on when you get new messages. Again though you can choose not to get these (and this is the default option).

4. If you dont use your account we need to be able to contact you to make sure you still want it, as we like to delete inactive accounts as it helps the site run quicker

FAILURE TO PROVIDE A RELIABLE EMAIL WILL RESULT IN ACCOUNT DELETION

Can I just register with the forum?

When you register you are automatically registered with the tipster competition and the forum. Once your registered you can then use and not use what you like.

HOWEVER, we do periodically clear out "dead" accounts, and one way we identify these are accounts that have never made a tip or a forum post. So we do recommend you make 1 tip and one forum post so you don't show up in those reports

Can I just register for Alerts?

Yes you can.
HOWEVER, we do periodically clear out "dead" accounts, and one way we identify these are accounts that have never made a tip or a forum post. So we do recommend you make 1 tip and one forum post so you don't show up in those reports and also log into OLBG at least once a month

Membership / Login

Ive forgotten my username / password?

Try to login. If it fails then you will be taken to a page where you can request your welcome email (with your username and password) is sent again. You just need your email address to get it.
If you cant remember your email then there are a few possibilities
- try to find any emails or alerts from OLBG - these will be addressed to your email
- if you are still logged into the forum then go there and go to my profile. This will also show your email.

Can I change my username?

Given that people follow each others tips and forum posts & we have the alerts system it would get too confusing if we allowed people to change their username.

How do I change my email?

Login to the tipster area (see the Tipsters tab at the top). Select "Edit Profile" from the menu in the tipster logged in area. If you do change your email then you will need to reconfirm it by clicking on the link in the message thatwe send to your new email address so please take care to give a correct and reliable email address.

How do I change my password?

Login to the tipster area (see the Tipsters tab at the top). Select "Edit Profile" from the menu in the tipster logged in area. There you will be able to change many of your account settings.

How do I delete my account?

Login to the tipster area (see the Tipsters tab at the top). Select "My Info" from the menu in the tipster logged in area. Be warned that once you do delete your account you will not be able to open another account for 12 months. There are strictly no exceptions to this.

How do I stop receiving emails?

You can modify your alerts settings by logging into the tipster competition and then clicking on Alerts on the blue menu bar at the top. From there you can delete your alerts that you have set up and change your other mailing preferences

What are the alerts?

There are a number of different alerts - all free of course. You can get an email if there are new free bets of offers, when events for sports you've specified first get odds, when tipsters you specify make tips, or when any horse gets several tips for it.

How do I login to the tipster competition?

Click on the Tipsters tab at the top of the page. In the top right you'll find a login box. Enter your username and password there

Ive been asked to re-confirm my email?

If we try to contact you and the email bounces you will be prompted to set a new email next time you login. We will then email you at that new email address and like when you joined, you will have to click on a link in the email to reverify your account. If you fail to do this within 30 days then your account will be deleted

Making Tips

Ive made a mistake in a tip?

Unfortunely we dont have the resources to make changes to your tips for you. We have 1000s of members and as a free competition we dont have lots of staff sitting around with nothing else to do

Can I edit my tips?

We don't allow editing of tips so you need to be careful when making your selections, like you would with a real bet with a bookmaker. The reasons for not allowing editing is that it can cause many complications not least that people who follow your tips or get alerts may end up following your old selection. Theres more discussion in This Forum Thread

How do I make a tip?

After you login you will be taken to your MyTips page. In the top left of that page is a list of the sports/leagues that currently have events you can tip on. When you click on one of these you will be taken to a page where you can select an event and then a market, selection, stake and bet type.

My Tips have disappeared?

Only future tips appear on your mytips page. To see tips from yesterday or before click on the Tips History button in the top right of the MyTips page after you login.

Can I make multiple bets in the tipster comp?

No we dont have the facility for making multiple bets in the tipster compettion. The main reason is that it can make the competition more about luck and can also kill the competition in months where someone wins very big at the start of the month. We like the competition to be more about long term consistency and sharing your best tips and we wish to discourage people making despeerate tips at the end of the month to try to get into the prize money

Tip Settlement

I think my tips have been processed incorrectly?

If you feel that a tip has been processed incorrectly please report this to us. All complaints must include
1) the exact details of your tip (if you click on a tip in your tip history you'll see the full details)
2) a link to a reputable source for the correct result

Please se sure to verify your claims carefully as we reserve the right to disqualify you from the current months competition prizes for making incorrect claims.
You should also be sure that you fully understand
1) which event you have bet on (can be confusing for baseball matches in particular)
2) how the bet payout works (can be confusing for Asian Handicaps and EW bets)
3) That you have read this help page

Please use the contact form at the bottom of the page & select Tipster Query and read the guidance there before contacting us.
We will not reply to PMs or emails sent using other contact forms

My tips havent been settled yet?

While we are trying to settle tips around the clock we dont guarantee to settle a tip until 12pm the day after the result is known. In the case of a match at 1am on the 10th this would mean settlement by 12pm on the 11th at the latest. We do try to do them sooner though!

When are the Tables Updated?

The tables are only updated daily so if you've had a big win then please allow 24 hours for that to show up in any of the tables. Even if your tips are showing as settled that doesnt mean its updated the tables.
Tables typically update at between 10am and 12pm each day although it can vary

Do I get my money back on a non-runner?

For daily horse racing then yes you will. For antepost racing then, like with the bookies, a non-runner will be settled as a loser. This applies for all antepost racing markets even if some bookies might be offering a non-runner no bet concession - unfortunately we cant

A player I backed to score first didnt play?

If you bet on a player to score first but they never get on the pitch then we mark these are losers as its too complex to introduce an effective non-runner system for the hundreds of matches we process every day.

A player I tipped didnt start the tournament?

If you back a player in a tournament/race (e.g. Golf, tennis, F1 race, etc) and they don't take part then the bet is a loser in the same way as an AntePost racing bet would be. While bookies may treat this differently its to onerous for us to keep track of who does and doesn't take part in every event. We suggest you confirm a player will take part before you select him/her.

A match I tipped on wasnt completed?

Where a match is not played to a conclusion all tips will be voided even if an official result has been declared. This includes tennis matches where there are retirements

What happens if I back an event in a future month?

If you make an Antepost bet then the stake comes out when you make the bet, and the returns and profit/loss are credited to you in the month that the result is known.

How are tips settled?

Most tips are settled in the same way as they would be with a normal bookmaker. There are however a few exceptions regarding non participating players. Also for lay tips we settled at SP+ (as laying at SP is overly favourable). More details of this can be found on the page where you make your racing tips

Results of tips will wherever possible be updated daily on the day following the match/race. We will endeavour to ensure that results are processed promptly and winnings credited to "banks" to allow sufficient time to reinvest these winnings prior to monthly resets, however this cannot be guaranteed, and any failures on our part in this respect are just bad luck.

Tips are void if race is not run or there is no official result - this will result in a refund of your tip stake. From time to time results may be processed inaccurately. Where this happens we will do our best to correct such errors when we are made aware of them, but we regret that we cannot always guarantee that this will be possible.

Disputes and concerns should be emailed to us and we will endeavour to sort the matter out in the fairest way possible. However our decision is final.

When are tips settled?

We only guarantee that tips will be settled by 12pm on the day following the end of the event.
This means a tip on a match that finished at 3am on Friday may not be settled until 12pm Saturdday.
We are gradually moving to a more automated round the clock tip settlement system.
Losing tips on tournaments are settled at the end of the tournament when the entire events tips are settled in one go (as happens typically with real bookies)

My racing tip was settled at SP even though I took a price?

This is explained in the note next to the box where you take the price on the tip making form.

Click Here to read the explanation

Prizes

What are the Prizes?

The full schedule of prizes (from 1 December 2006) can be found here

Tipsters can (and in many cases probably will) win more than one prize. For example it is particularly likely that the overall winner may get another prize. Prizes will be credited to your "Real Cash" balance at the end of every month. Where there are tied positions for 1st, 2nd or 3rd the prize money will be split at our discretion on an equitable basis.

Other than prizes for comments, no tipster can earn a prize if they made a loss in the month. This is most likley to come into affect in team prizes or the popular tipsters league.

Did I win a Prize?

Every month on the first of the month we email every tipster to announce the result of last month and update on any changes for the coming month. Also we make a post in the Site Matters forum.

This will normally be announced between 11am and 3pm on the 1st of the month, but please don't chase us about this until the 2nd.

A list of the previous months winners is also available on the winners page

How do I claim a Payment?

Once you have a balance of £25 or more you will find a link on the right of your MyTips page which will take you to a page where you can request a cheque or paypal payment. Until you have £25 though you just need to keep playing. We never take the money away but unfortunately its too mych admin for us to issue payments for smaller amounts

Wheres my money?

Prizes will be credited to your "Real Cash" balance at the end of every month. Cheques or paypal transfers will be issued on application each month to any player having a total balance of £25 or more. Balances below £25 are carried forward indefinitely. Please allow 30 days for us to send cheques / make paypal payments

I thought I should get a prize but didnt?

Don't forget that league tables on the last day of the month don't include the final days tips. Hence its the results after those tips are processed that count.
Some people do make "all or nothing" type bets on the last day and this can lead to some changes in the rankings.
Also note that if you made a loss then you will not qualify for a prize other than maybe for forum or tip comments

Competition Details & Rules

Why has my bank changed?

Your bank is reset to £1000 at the start of every month. It is also increased by £100 every day so you will always have some funds to play with. Also obviously your bank will change when you make tips, and when they are settled iof you have some winnings

Ive found an error in the competition?

Please tell us immediately. Please do not make any bets that exploit any errors in the competition as we reserve the right to mark them as losers irrespective of the result or even disqualify you from the competition

I think someone is cheating?

Please report it to us along with any evidence you have. We try very hard to run a fair competition but it is difficult for us to completely stop this.

How does the the competition work?

At the start of the month you are given a bank of virtual money to make virtual bets ("tips") with. You objective is to make the most profit during the month. Which events form part of the competition and the timing of their availability is at the discretion on Online Betting Guide. Typically we will aim to include
UK horse racing meetings
Premiership, Championship, Spanish, Scottish Prem, and Italian football matches
Selected Champions League, UEFA Cup, FA Cup, Carling Cup and International football matches
Most major Tennis and Golf tournaments
Selected other events for Rugby, Cricket, Formula 1, NFL & more

At the beginning of every month your bank will be reset to £1000 so as to give all players roughly equal opportunity for the forthcoming month (subject to open bets carried over). Every day you will be credited with an additional £100. All bets must be between £50 and £500.

At the end of the month, any open bets up to £1000 will be carried over "for free" such that you can have both £1000 and a certain amount of open bets at the beginning of a month. Profits/Losses from these open bets will impact on the month in which they are settled.

Qualifying for Individual Prizes?

Prizes are only awarded to Active Tipsters = someone who have placed at least 5 tips with a combined value of at least £500 in the month
Tipsters must be over 18
For profit prizes you must have made a profit in that category to qualify. If you finish in the prize list without making a profit then you do not qualify for a prize.

Qualifying for Team Prizes?

Teams can be set up in your tipster area by selecting "My League" from the menu. Here you can create your own private or public league or join other leagues.
To Qualify for the team competition your team must have at least 5 active tipsters in your team at the end of the month.
An active tipster within a Team is someone who has been in the team for at least 20 days and made at least 5 tips that month
Team scores are based on the average profit of ALL active team members (changed 1 March 2006)
Team Prizes are paid to up to the top 10 members (for the first team) or 5 (for the 2nd and 3rd teams) (changed 1 March 2006)
To remain eligiable, team members must remain in their team until after the prizes for that month are allocated (this is typically before12pm on the 1st of the following month)
Players are not permitted to switch teams after the 10th of the month (new 1 March 2006)

Cheating?

Only one entry per household (except by special agreement with us). In the case of multiple entries only the first active account qualifies for prizes and other tipster logins will be deleted.
Any cheating will mean ineligibility for the prize money and potentially cancellation of your account. This includes running multiple accounts, placing tips after the event, inflating odds or any other activity we deem unsportsmanlike. Individual tips may be voided or marked as losers at our discretion irrespective of the result.
An account suspended for cheating will fofeit any real money accrued but unclaimed
Determination of what we consider to be cheating is at our sole discretion.

Other Terms?

Rules are subject to change at our discretion. Updates will be posted on this page.
By signing up to the competition you consent to us emailing you on a periodic basis (typically monthly) with news of the site and the tipster competition (typically the previous months results)
By taking part in the competition you agree to the rules and terms above.

Forum

What are the forum rules?

There are several rules and they are strictly enforced so we recommend you read them carefully. You can find them HERE

How do I register with the forum?

To register with the forum you need to register with the site tipster competition & this will create a forum account for you

How do I login to the forum?

The login for the forum is separate to the tipster competition. Click on the forum tab & then on login and enter your username and password which are the same as your tipster competition details which you setup when you registered

Why Cant I post on the forum / Why cant I send PMs?

We have made some restrictions to the abilities of new members to reduce spam on the forum. However please note that

1, Anyone can post to existing threads

2. To be able to start NEW threads and send PMs you need to have been a member for a few weeks and have made some posts.

3. We're not revealing publicly what these limits are as it will just defeat the purpose and make it easy to spam the forums again

4. We suggest you just participate in existing threads for a few weeks and before you know it you'll have full privileges

What are penalty points?

Penalty points are issued for unwanted behaviour on the forum. More details can be found on the forum rules page

Why have I been banned?

People are banned from the forum typically for antisocial behaviour such as
being abusive to other members
bad language
making libelous allegations
spamming with advertising
This can be for one single offence or for a combination of things over time. See the forum rules for more info

Can I be a Moderator?

Maybe. We don't respond to direct requests but if we see you out and about on the forum a lot and you regularly display a positive and helpful attitude towards the site and its members then I'm sure we'll be in touch.

What do the Moderators Do?

The moderators keep the forum free of abuse to make it a friendly and well orgnanised place for sharing betting tips and advice. They are not paid for this - its purely a voluntary contribtion

About OLBG

What is OLBG?

Online Betting Guide is just that - a guide to help you with your betting. We are not a bookmaker, but we do link to lots of different bookmakers and other betting content. The main aim of Online Betting Guide is to help you find interesting events to gamble on, and then to provide useful information about that event such as the best odds, where its on TV, some tips and what sort of bets can be made.

How We Work?

OLBG is an entirely free site that costs a lot of money to run let a lone give out free prizes.
In order to do this we need to be very efficient about dealing with enquiries meaning we really cant afford to spend time answering simple questions that are answered on the site.
The OLBG philosophy is to try to spend as much of our time and money on improving the site and its features so your assistance with this would be appreciated :)

How Can I support OLBG?

OLBG is a free site making its money from bookmaker advertising. You can help us in two ways:
1. Help us keep costs down by only asking us questions when you really need to and you're sure its not answered in the help sections
2. Using the links on OLBG when you open accounts with bookmakers / poker rooms etc as often that is how we make our money.

Other OLBG Sites?

On the betting side we have specialist sites for Spread Betting, the Grand National, and Cheltenham Betting. We also have an odds comparison site ValueChecker and a live sports scores site MyScores. There are more on the way too!

Why So Many Errors?

Our approach is to keep the site improving as rapidly as possible. You might say the whole site is in test in some ways as we are always tweaking stuff. This means that there will be errors from time to time but they'll often be fixed a minute of so later. Also we tend not to bother with proof reading etc preferring to spend that time on developing tools. If we had to check and double check everything we wouldnt have launched the tipster competition yet! However if you do spot any errors and they dont disappear within an hour then please let us know.

Can I advertise on OLBG?

We are happy to discuss "media buys" on the home page and other key places on the forum - please use the contact form.

Do you have any Jobs?

If you are interested in working for OLBG then please check The Invendium Website

Teams

How do I change Teams?

You can change teams in the first 10 days of each month bu clicking on the JOIN button next to the new team you want to join (this button is only visible for the 1st 10 days of the month)

Blogs

How do Blogs Work?

If you have been approved as a blogger then you can create blogs & information about yourself in a number of ways

1. whenever you make a tip in the tipster competition and include a write up, a blog on that event with your tip will be setup automatically for you

2. You can create other general blogs from your blog home page - theres a link to this on your MyTips page

3. You can add some basic info about yourself in your blogger profile which you will find on your blog home page

Who Can Have a Blog?

Blogs are available by invitation only. We like to keep the number of blogs reasonably small to ensure we only have active bloggers. Also as blogs are self moderated we prefer to wait until youve been a member for a while and we've got to know you a bit before we approve you and we like to see a track record of quality postings on the forum or in tip comments

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