Starlizard

[Archangel]

This article is a few years old but i read it recently and found it very interesting. Maybe their edge is gone now but obviously taking gambling to a new level of quants and data analysis.
Essentially its Tony Blooms story

https://www.businessinsider.com/inside- ... ?r=US&IR=T

[northbound]

I also recommend Harry Findlay’s book as he talks about his dealings with Starlizard and Tony Bloom.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gambling-Life- ... 1910335606

[Archangel]

I believe Harry was involved with Bloom in the Asian Handicap betting until they had a falling out. Must check out the book.

[Archangel]

'Bloom set up Starlizard to run his sports activities, and the business allows him to bring the cool heads and statistical rigour of Mayfair's boutique quant investment world into the murky arena of Asian bookmakers. He told one interviewer, "I wanted to gamble because I enjoyed it and, therefore, I needed to do it properly in order to win."

Starlizard workers are invited to share in Bloom's winnings. They are offered a free stake in Bloom's syndicate, putting them in line for payouts of up to £500,000 every six months — assuming the match results go Bloom's way, of course. If they don't, employees and other syndicate members must top up Bloom's gambling pot from their own pockets. '

[Euler]

I've met or worked with most of the big guys out there. But obviously can't talk my experiences publicly. But their Camden office is pretty impressive.

Star lizard is one of several similar types of organisations.

[PeterLe]

This article is a few years old but i read it recently and found it very interesting. Maybe their edge is gone now but obviously taking gambling to a new level of quants and data analysis.
Essentially its Tony Blooms story

https://www.businessinsider.com/inside- ... ?r=US&IR=T

Enjoyed reading that , thanks
By the way; Just checked their web site. They have four open job positions

[Archangel]

Enjoyed reading that , thanks
By the way; Just checked their web site. They have four open job positions

I imagine its like the NSA in terms of sharing information. Must be so tempting for employees to front run the bets !

[Archangel]

I was interested to note that a lot of these sorts of betting consortiums are placing their bets in Asia as opposed to this part of the world. Maybe its easier to get on in Asia, I have no idea

It must be hard to continue that though as if they are making a lot of money, someone is taking the other side of those bets and losing, and we all know bookies dont like to lose

[Euler]

You only need to look at the volume on Cricket markets to know there is a huge grey market that finds its way onto Betfair.

[Archangel]

You only need to look at the volume on Cricket markets to know there is a huge grey market that finds its way onto Betfair.

Yeah thats for sure.

I would love to see what numbers go through Asia from football. I believe it dwarfs anything over here

[Euler]

By a coincidence: -

https://www.ft.com/content/80987f0c-9bf ... 459ed04726

[wearthefoxhat]

By a coincidence: -

https://www.ft.com/content/80987f0c-9bf ... 459ed04726

Is that Starlizards' business model?

[Archangel]

By a coincidence: -

https://www.ft.com/content/80987f0c-9bf ... 459ed04726

Thats very interesting. A little disturbing also. Not so much the fact that people from all over the world are getting onto the Betfair exchange through the back door and betting on sport, but more so that its so open for money laundering and all manner of dodgy stuff. The feds might just decide to close down the whole thing

[Archangel]

Interesting that Betfair dont think the amounts coming from Asia are significant

yet,

'Although Flutter claims that its B2B partnerships are immaterial to the business at a group level, there are serious amounts of money being bet on the platforms.
By way of illustration, the Champions League final between two English football teams, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur, on June 1 attracted “matched” bets of £13m.
In cricket, meanwhile, the World Cup clash between India and South Africa four days later saw £90m matched.'