The Racing Post’s Great Betrayal: Cheltenhams Chance to Sell Out Punters to the Bookies

The Racing Post. Once the noble chronicler of racing’s rich history, the fearless watchdog of the turf, the publication punters turned to for wisdom, insight, and—dare we say it—a fighting chance against the bookmakers. But those days, much like a Cheltenham banker at the last, have fallen flat on their face. Now the Racing Post isn’t a friend of the punter—it’s a fully-fledged marketing department for the very bookmakers who exist to fleece them and mine their data.

Consider their latest shameless piece: a glowing, hand-holding, back-rubbing, cock sucking, smoke blowing, commission-earning advert disguised as “expert advice” on the best bookmakers for the Cheltenham Festival. And what a curious coincidence—it turns out the “best” bookmakers are the ones that pay the Racing Post affiliate money!

Racing Post: Now Taking Bets Against Its Own Readers

Let’s be crystal clear: this article is not designed to help punters win. It’s designed to funnel them into the clutches of the very firms that spend 364 days a year restricting winners, manipulating odds, and ensuring the house always wins. How do we know? Because instead of warning punters about:

• Account restrictions the second you show competence

• Dramatically shortened ante-post odds that crush real value

• The illusion of “Best Odds Guaranteed” that vanishes the moment you’re winning

• The underhanded use of data mining to spot and limit sharp bettors

…the Racing Post cheerfully tells us that these bookies are simply a “must-have” for the savvy punter.

Yes, that’s right, folks. The same bookmakers who will:

• Slash your stakes to pennies if you dare show an ounce of skill

• Offer tantalising bonuses to lure you in, only to claw them back with misleading Ts & Cs

• Pretend to care about “responsible gambling” while flooding your inbox with deposit offers

• Make every effort to funnel you to the Casino losing slots

…are the ones we should all be grateful for.

And the Racing Post? They’re standing right beside them, smiling, nodding, and collecting their cut.

"RP Recommends: The Best Bookmakers to Ensure You Lose Money Efficiently!"

The entire premise of the Racing Post’s bookmaker recommendations is about as transparent as a Tory MP’s offshore tax arrangements.

What does their glowing write-up really mean? Let’s translate:

• “Betfair is a must-have for the serious punter.”
  Translation: If you don’t mind paying commission and trading against professionals armed with better data than you, go right ahead.

• “Bet365 is a great all-rounder with excellent non-runner no bet concessions.”
  Translation: Until you win, at which point you’ll be limited to 12p bets on Bulgarian second-division football.

• “William Hill has generous place terms and on-the-day specials.”
  Translation: But good luck getting on if you’ve ever withdrawn more than £50 in profit.

• “Paddy Power offers market-leading promotions.”
  Translation: Enjoy those boosted odds, because next week they’ll be using your betting patterns to nudge you into worse-value markets.

• “Sky Bet has enhanced place terms and exceptional each-way betting.”
  Translation: But their prices are shorter than an influencer’s attention span, so you’re paying for those extra places one way or another.

It’s not advice. It’s a sales pitch. It’s the Racing Post acting as a middleman for the enemy—and worst of all, pretending they’re doing punters a favour.

They’re Not Just Selling Out—They’re Selling YOU Out

There was a time when the Racing Post was on the punter’s side. It questioned bookmakers, challenged shady practices, and acted as a true voice of the sport.

Now? It’s an unapologetic affiliate funnel that actively betrays the people who trust it most.

Because here’s the harsh reality:

If you’re a losing punter, the Racing Post helps keep you in the game, feeding you to the bookies like a cash cow.
If you’re a winning punter, the Racing Post won’t warn you that these same bookies will ban you the moment they sniff profit.
And all the while, they pocket commissions from every new mug punter they sign up.

So when the Racing Post sagely advises, “Make sure you have multiple accounts to take advantage of the best offers,” what they really mean is:

"Sign up through us so we can take a cut of your losses."

Robbie Wilders: The Surviving Tipster in a Sea of Bans

And then we come to Robbie Wilders.

The article proudly tells us that Robbie joined the Racing Post in 2018 and became part of the tipping team in early 2022. And the real miracle? Unlike every other semi-competent punter in Britain, he’s still in business.

The rest of us? Restricted, banned, sent packing the moment we dared to win. But Robbie? He’s still there, churning out tips and claiming to “move markets.” Which begs the question…

https://www.racingpost.com/news/rp-recommends/rp-recommends-these-are-the-seven-best-bookmakers-for-betting-on-the-cheltenham-festival-aULpF0Q8JG8R/

What, exactly, is Robbie tipping?

Because if he was giving out anything remotely profitable, he’d have been shut down like the rest of us. Instead, he writes the Ante-Postman column, a free weekly email full of “value bets” that, by sheer coincidence, just so happen to match the ante-post markets of Racing Post’s beloved bookmaker partners.

Funny that.So either: Robbie is an absolute genius, single-handedly beating the market while remaining undetected by the bookies. Robbie is tipping excrement, keeping punters on the losing side while the Racing Post cashes in on affiliate deals.

I know which one my money’s on.

The Fake Responsible Gambling Message

Ah yes, the obligatory “Remember to gamble responsibly” section at the end.

Because after 2,000 words of urging you to sign up for as many bookmakers as possible, to “get the best deals,” to “make sure you don’t miss out on value”… they suddenly care about how much you’re spending?

No, they don’t. If they did, they’d be warning you about:

• How bookies track your behaviour to push you into more addictive betting habits

• How “free bets” are structured to encourage reckless wagering

• How the industry thrives on problem gamblers, not casual punters

Instead, they throw in a meaningless disclaimer, as if that absolves them of guilt.

Cheltenham: Where Punters Dream and Racing Post Profits

By the time Cheltenham week is over, bookmakers will have:

Taken millions in bets from hopeful punters
Limited or banned those who won too much
Plastered their marketing everywhere, backed by… you guessed it… the Racing Post

And when the festival dust settles, when punters are licking their wounds and preparing for next year, the Racing Post will be right back with another “Must-Have Accounts for Cheltenham” article. They’ll do it again, and again, and again.

Because the bookmakers need new customers. And the Racing Post needs the bookmakers.
And the only people who don’t benefit from this cosy arrangement… are the punters.

So, next time the Racing Post offers you betting advice, ask yourself this: Are they trying to help me win? Or are they just another cog in the machine that exists to make sure I lose? But the truth is racing loses as the black market expands and punters drift offshore or out of the sport as the Racing Post staff get more P45s due to the punters reluctance to play thir game.