WO2005071579A2

WO2005071579A2 - Sports betting assistance system

Info

Publication number: WO2005071579A2
Application number: PCT/DK2005/000053
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ulrik William Nash
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-01-27
Filing date: 2005-01-25
Publication date: 2005-08-04
Anticipated expiration: 2006-07-27

Description

SPORTS BETTING ASSISTANCE SYSTEM

Field of the invention

This invention relates to the field of betting, particularly to sports betting conducted via a communications network.

Background of the invention

Accepting financial risk when the likelihood of total financial loss is low, and the upside financial rewards are substantial, is a wise decision, but determining the likelihood of different outcomes is difficult. In those situations where the likelihood of an outcome is accurately known, it is straightforward to determine when risk of total loss should be accepted for the purpose of gaining financial reward, and when risk of total loss should be avoided.

A general problem occurs when the likelihood of an outcome is unknown to both parts of a potential wager. In this case no part is able to calculate the value of odds, which statistically cause both parts of the wager to breakeven, and it follows that calculating the value of odds that precisely cause a wager to be favourable for one part, and not for the other, is impossible too. Ultimately a clear incentive arises for both parts to gain knowledge they lack, or at least gain knowledge, which is more accurate than the knowledge possessed by the other part. Superior knowledge allows a part to determine when accepting odds is wise, and when it is not, and allows a part to determine when offering odds of a given value is wise, and when it is not. Inferior knowledge, on the other hand, may cause a part to accept odds, even when doing so is unwise from a financial perspective, or may alternatively result in a part proposing odds that are unfavourable for this proposing part. The general problem runs deep in the market for sports betting, for there is no single probability distribution for sporting events collectively. Instead there is a unique probability distribution of outcomes for each sporting event in isolation, posing a difficult problem for both parts in a potential wager, and creating opportunities to secure financial reward for the part, which has the best ability to solve this problem. The part most able is the part with superior knowledge.

It is well known that sports betting exchanges facilitate a liquid two-way market, and promote odds competition that erodes the market power traditionally enjoyed by those who offer odds. What is less often recognised is that odds in a well functioning market are a reflection of the quality of knowledge distributed within this market. It is however a crucial observation. Sports betting exchanges are frequented not only by individuals with superior knowledge, but also by individuals whose knowledge may even be disastrous, and there may be no reason to expect that odds efficiently follow underlying likelihoods. In fact, the slack between odds and likelihood creates an increased possibility of earning economic profit, for persons with superior knowledge about sport. For those whose knowledge is inferior, the fundamental problem of consistently earning economic profit by risking total loss remains impossible for them to solve on their own.

The most common method available today to help individuals earn a financial surplus in a sports betting market, exemplified by Sky Sports, ESPN and the like, involves providing individuals with mass amounts of information about sport and specific events, and implicitly demands from the individual sports better that he or she has the necessary skill and time to determine the likelihood of various possible sports event outcomes, on the base of such information.

The problem with said most common method is that studying all relevant information made available in the sports betting market by Sky Sports, ESPN and the like, is an extremely time-consuming exercise, and typically results in a misinterpretation of available information, inaccurate estimates of various likelihoods, and ultimately economic loss. The problem related to said most common method has created a basis for the establishment of a second method, involving individual experts working alone, or working together in small groups, to interpret the mass amounts of information made available through said most common method, on the basis of their background knowledge. Examples include expert panels employed by owners of various printed media.

A fundamental problem with working alone, or as a small advisory group, is that the knowledge possessed by the individual, or the small group, is not diversified enough to find but a small fraction of all favourable sports betting opportunities available in the sports betting marketplace at a given time, hindering those who receive advice from adequately spreading his or her risk.

A third method intended to provide advice to individuals in the sports betting market, is a further development of said second method, involving the creation of online communities, freely communicating betting decisions via discussion boards, or otherwise 'looking over each others shoulder' as betting decisions are made. More specifically, betting decisions made by individual community members are typically posted freely within said communities and visitors and other members can make use of this information if they wish. Competitions are also frequently conducted, where the rules of said competitions typically demand that a set quota of decisions be made by the individual community member, within a certain period of time, so as to avoid disqualification. Examples of entities that follow said third method include, Globetting, Bettingadvice, BetXpert, and Come2Bet.

The first problem of said third method is that with information freely flowing within a community, coupled with a lack of controlling checks and balances, it is extremely difficult for recipients of advice to establish who is really speaking, and what motivation drives them. A corollary is that despite what certain entities using said third method may claim with regards to their staged competitions, they cannot in fact harness competitive forces vital in the process of identifying superior knowledge, because they deliberately and openly grant community members the possibility to view and duplicate the selections made by other community members, which is tantamount to allowing cheating. Ultimately, said third method poses a fundamental obstacle for individuals needing advice, for said individuals are truly unable to determine the skill of the person whose council they have chosen to seek.

The first problem of said third method is compounded by a second, namely that although sports betting is an activity concerned greatly with statistical chance, the measures of skill applied in said third method are not adjusted for statistical confidence. So not only is it difficult to determine the skill of those providing advice because their skill measure could well reflect activities of cheating, but it is also difficult to determine their skill because said skill measures used are not statistically valid or reliable.

The first and second problem of said third method is compounded further by a third fundamental problem, namely that said third method does not explicitly relate assistance to the intrinsic value of a given betting option on which advice is given. In reality value is related to margin, which is a function of odds and underlying likelihood. Said third method places too much emphasis on naturally changing odds, and in so doing systematically provide ill advice, because the quality of any advice will vary in the duration between when advice is given and when it is received. So not only is it difficult to determine the skill of those providing advice because their skill measure could well reflect activities of cheating, and because the skill measure relied on is not adjusted for statistical confidence, but the quality of any advice finally received may quickly change unbeknownst to the addressee, even if said advice happens to originate from a person who actually does possess superior knowledge.

A fourth problem of said third method is that community members are not provided quality feedback on how they are performing generally, or detailed feedback about where they are performing well and where they are not performing well. As a tool for training individuals before they venture real money in actual sports betting markets, or as a testing ground that helps individuals determine if risking hard earned money in actual sports betting markets is at all wise for them, said third method is consequently of little use, or even financially disastrous considering problems one, two, and three.

On the basis of what has been said so far, it is clear that a strong and continuing unmet need exists in the online sports betting market for an assistance service facilitating a rich vein of advice, the validity, reliability, and credibility of which can easily be determined by recipients. It is also clear that there is a need in the online sports betting market for a method that provides continual feedback of a significant and appropriate type, so that online sports betters can objectively answer their prime questions "How good am I?", "Can I do better?" and "Is it at all wise for me to risk financial loss by speculating on the outcome of sporting events without the help of an expert?"

All this having been said, there is a final yet crucial reason why the introduction of the present invention to the market is needed: whilst it is clearly important for a sports betting advisory service to be able to consistently provide accurate information relating to positive expectation betting opportunities, the recipient of such information is still left with the problem of how much capital to risk once such opportunities are discovered. In 1956 J. L Kelly, JR. proved mathematically that for any positive expectation betting opportunity there is an optimal fraction of total capital, which if risked, will maximize the expected exponential growth of said total capital. A prerequisite of risking said optimal fraction is that the likelihood of success is accurately estimated. Indeed, if said likelihood is imprecisely estimated, the expected opportunity will be inaccurately estimated, and the fraction risked will be suboptimal. Moreover, if said likelihood is estimated so inaccurately on a consistent basis that opportunities are consistently estimated to have positive expectations, when in fact these expectations are negative, the expected exponential growth of capital will not only be negative, but capital will shrink at an exponential rate that is not minimized. Unlike other methods currently available, the Sports Betting Assistance System facilities the generation of accurate advice relating to positive expectation sports betting opportunities and provides accurate advice concerning how much to risk using Kelly's Criteria.

Summary of the invention

The present invention relates to a method of establishing and providing betting assistance, said betting assistance comprising betting recommendations categorized according to their probable reliabilities, comprising the steps of assigning ranks to at least two participants according to their individual betting performances, establishing at least one betting recommendation by obtaining information from at least one of said at least two participants, categorizing each of said at least one betting recommendation according to said rank of said participant from whom said betting recommendation is obtained, and providing at least one of said at least one betting recommendation to at least one customer.

According to the present invention an advantageous method is provided for establishing betting assistance categorized according to probable quality. Thereby betters suffering from the general problems of interpreting excessive amounts of information and/or determining the quality, i.e. the probable reliability, of different pieces of this information, are able to obtain betting recommendations limited to certain quality levels only. By offering recommendations with different, known, levels of quality at different prices, the better, i.e. the customer, may freely choose to buy information at a quality level where the reliability of the information enables him or her to generate betting revenue that is greater than the costs related to obtaining the information.

According to the present invention the method comprises steps for establishing the categorized recommendations as well as for providing these recommendations to customers in different ways and remunerating the participants from which the recommendations are obtained. It is noted that participants are also referred to as Members in the present description.

When said betting assistance relates to sports betting, a preferred advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

The present invention may be particularly advantageous in the field of sports betting.

When said method further comprises the step of registering said at least two participants, a preferred advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

Registering the participants may greatly improve the reliability of the performance metrics, rankings, and quality levels, as registration makes it harder to cheat or falsify information. Moreover registration of participants facilitates payment of remuneration.

When said method further comprises the step of monitoring said betting performances of said at least two participants, a preferred advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

By monitoring the performance of the participants, preferably on a regular basis, e.g. every week or for every betting decision they make, it is possible to track performance changes of the participants. By improving his or her performance, a participant may achieve the satisfaction of being acknowledged and being able to provide recommendations at a higher quality level, as well as receiving higher remuneration.

When said step of monitoring said betting performances of said at least two participants comprises the step of establishing at least one performance metric for each of said at least two participants, a preferred advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained. The establishment of specific performance metrics for the participants is important in order to be able to objectively measure and compare the performance of the participants.

When said method further comprises the step of registering said at least one customer, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

Registration is often a necessary step in being able to make money transactions. Furthermore registration is necessary when customers want to receive betting recommendations on a subscription or online auction basis.

When said method further comprises the step of paying at least one of said at least two participants remuneration, a preferred advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

By offering remuneration to the participants, preferably differentiated according to their performance, the participants are encouraged to participate in the first place, and to improve their performance, which ultimately leads to assistance of higher quality.

When said method is at least partially carried out and managed by a computer 1, a preferred advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

As the method of the present invention is significantly extensive and complex, using a computer for carrying it out is very beneficial. Moreover a computer also offers several ways of communicating with participants and customers in an interactive way, and typically with several participants and customers simultaneously.

According to the present invention the computer may be any kind of hardware adaptable for carrying out the invention, e.g. personal computers of any make or other hardware where the present invention may be implemented as a software program, or any hardware where the present invention may be hardware- implemented.

When said computer 1 preferably comprises at least one central processing unit, non- volatile storage means, volatile storage means, input means and output means, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

When said computer 1 is a server, a preferred advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

As the present invention may be applied to a system comprising numerous participants and customers, using a server specifically designed to handle extensive information, requests and calculations and be a centre in a computer network may be very beneficial.

When said computer 1 is accessible through a computer network by a plurality of client computers 6, a preferred advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

By offering participant and customer interaction with the present invention by means of network access the capabilities of the system and comfort of its users may be greatly improved. The scope of possible client computer types comprises all of the possible types of computer 1 as described above, e.g., personal computers, servers, dedicated hardware implementations, etc. In addition, several types of computers less suitable for use as computer 1, may be perfectly suitable as client computers, e.g. thin clients, notebooks, info stands, handheld devices such as PDA's, cellular phones, etc.

When at least a part of said computer network forms part of the Internet 5, a preferred advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained. Providing Internet access to an application according to the present invention may be greatly appreciated as most of the potential users of such an application already have access to the Internet from their home and/or work computers. Moreover an Internet access also makes the existing extended infrastructure and the extensive resources provided by the Internet usable by the application.

When at least one of said client computers 6 is connected to the Internet 5 through an Internet Service Provider 7, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

When said computer 1 is further connected to a database server 2 comprising storage for data, preferably sports data, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

The computer 1 is preferably connected to the database server 2 by means of a local network, but the connection may also comprise a part of the Internet, or any other kind of connection.

When said data, preferably sports data, are received from servers, e.g., related to online sports betting marketplaces 3 and/or news corporations 4, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

The computer 1 may preferably access such servers 3, 4 by means of Internet connections, but in further embodiments the computer may access such servers directly through private connections or the data may be transferred by the use of movable storage means such as a CD-ROM or Flash disk.

When access to said computer 1 is restricted by security measures, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained. By restricting access to said computer 1 by means of security measures, the integrity of data stored on said computer is secured, including data concerning the performance of participants.

When said client computers 6 comprise PDAs and/or cellular phones, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

Use of PDA's and/or cellular phones allows for a supply and reception of assistance that is timelier.

When said computer 1 comprises a web server, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

By implementing the interface to the method of the present invention as a web site accessible through a web server by means of a common web client, a standardized and well-known interface is provided to the participants and customers.

When said method further comprises the step of receiving input from said at least two participants by means of said clients computers 6, said network and said computer 1, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

When said method further comprises the step of providing information to said at least two participants by means of said computer 1, said network and said client computers 6, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

When said method further comprises the step of receiving input from said at least one customer by means of said clients computers (6), said network and said computer 1, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained. When said method further comprises the step of providing information to said at least one customer by means of said computer 1, said network and said client computers 6, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

When said step of establishing at least one performance metric for each of said at least two participants comprises the step of evaluating betting decisions made by each of said at least two participants, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

When said method further comprises the step of providing a set of possible bets to each of said at least two participants, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

When said step of providing a set of possible bets further comprises the step of assigning odds to said possible bets, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

When said possible bets may be backing bets and/or laying bets, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

When said possible bets each relates to at least one time-restricted event, preferably a sporting event, or subset of such an event, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

When said method further comprises the step of facilitating said at least two participants to make betting decisions by effectuating at least one of said possible bets, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

When said method further comprises the step of associating at least one betting account with each of said at least two participants, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained. When at least one amount of currency is allocated to each of said at least one betting account, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

When said at least one amount of currency comprises legal tender and/or virtual currency, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

When said step of facilitating said at least two participants to make betting decisions regarding at least one of said possible bets further comprises facilitating said at least two participants to apply at least a part of said at least one amount of currency of said associated at least one betting account in order to effectuate said betting decisions, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

When the amount of currency that can be used for effectuating betting decisions is restricted within a given time period, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

When any remainders of said at least one amount of currency of said associated at least one betting account is maintained, reset to zero, reset to a default amount or adjusted at the end of said given time period, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

When said steps of providing a set of possible bets, facilitating said at least two participants to make betting decisions, and/or evaluating betting decisions made by each of said at least two participants are repeated when said given time period ends, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

When the possibility to effectuate betting decisions is withdrawn at the beginning of a predetermined timeframe, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the participants are each provided with an account to which a certain amount of virtual capital is allocated for each given time period, e.g. each week. Within each given time period the participants use their virtual capital to effectuate betting decisions chosen from a set of possible betting decisions and at odds displayed by the system preferably determined on the basis of information on the actual odds generally available in the market, said information preferably being obtained from bookmakers. Succeeding each given time period the betting decisions effectuated by the participants are provided to the customers for a charge depending on the past performance of the particular participant. On the basis of the effectuated betting decisions and the actual outcomes of the associated events, e.g. sporting events, the performance of each participant is determined by establishing different perfoπnance metrics, such as e.g. a participant's accumulated profit compared to the accumulated risk involved.

When said effectuated betting decisions are kept confidential at least until said predetermined timeframe commences, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the participants may not obtain knowledge on other participants' effectuated betting decisions prior to the withdrawal of the betting possibility. A situation where participants make decisions based on knowledge other than their own is thus avoided.

When said predetermined timeframe commences before any of said time-restricted events or subsets thereof relating to possible bets to be effectuated prior to said predetermined timeframe finishes, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

When at least one of said odds assigned to said possible bets is derived from at least one third party, preferably an actual online betting marketplace, preferably via a communications network that facilitates real-time or near real-time operation, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained. When information about the outcome of said time-restricted events or subsets thereof are obtained from a third party, preferably via a communications network that facilitates real-time or near real-time operation, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

When said step of evaluating betting decisions made by each of said at least two participants involves comparing said betting decisions with said information about the outcome of said time-restricted events or subsets thereof associated with said possible bets, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

When said at least one performance metric comprises a Margin Adjusted for Statistical Confidence MASC, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

According to the present invention, the MASC is generally any profit margin obtained from betting, adjusted for statistical confidence, where said statistical confidence is a function of the number of betting decisions effectuated to reach that profit margin, and the odds at which bets are effectuated. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention individual MASCs are established for backing bets and laying bets, respectively.

When said at least one performance metric comprises a Fair Odds Margin FOM, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

According to the present invention, the FOM is generally similar to the MASC, except that the odds used in the calculation are the odds considered fair by the participant rather than the average odds at which bets are actually effectuated. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention individual FOMs are established for backing bets and laying bets, respectively. When said at least one performance metric comprises a Polar Rate PR, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

According to the present invention, the PR indicates the number of times a participant has bet on a home team to win (lose), when in fact an away team lost (won), and the number of times a participant has bet on an away team to win (lose), when in fact a home team lost (won), standardised by adjusting for implied probability. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention individual PRs are established for backing bets and laying bets, respectively.

When said at least one performance metric comprises an Advance On Market metric AOM, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

According to the present invention, the AOM indicates the skill of a participant by tracking the evolution of odds for outcomes after said participant has backed or laid said outcomes. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention individual AOMs are established for backing bets and laying bets, respectively.

When said performance metrics are established by said computer 1, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

When said performance metrics are updated repeatedly for each elapsed said given time period, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

When at least one of said performance metrics established for each of said at least two participants are available, preferably by means of said computer network and said client computers 6, to said participants, respectively, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained. Providing information, e.g. analytical reports, to the participants about their performance and/or other participants' performance may encourage the participants and become a significant tool in their effort to improve themselves.

When said step of assigning ranks to at least two participants according to their individual betting performance are based on at least one of said performance metrics, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

When said step of assigning ranks to at least two participants according to their individual betting performance are based on said Margin Adjusted for Statistical Confidence MASC at a predetermined confidence interval, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

The predetermined confidence interval may comprise any confidence interval, and is preferably at least 50%, even more preferably at least 75% and even more preferably at least 90%.

When said method further comprises the step of awarding prizes to participants being top ranked for certain time periods, e.g. 1 week, 4 weeks, 12 weeks, and so on, and/or after a certain number of betting decisions have been made, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

Such prizes may also encourage the participants to improve themselves. The prizes may be anything that the participants would appreciate winning, e.g. money, goods, merchandise, tickets for sporting events or concerts, etc.

When said step of categorizing each of said at least one betting recommendation according to said rank of said participant from whom said betting recommendation is obtained comprises arranging said betting recommendations in a plurality of Assistance Quality Groups AQG, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained. When each of said Assistance Quality Groups AQG is associated with an individual percentile group of said participants, where said percentile groups are preferably established on the basis of said participants' rank, MASC, or any other said performance metric, or combination thereof, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

When said plurality of Assistance Quality Groups AQG comprises 11 groups, where the 2.5% most top ranked participants are associated with a first Assistance Quality Group AQG 1, the next 2.5 percentile points most top ranked participants are associated with a second Assistance Quality Group AQG 2, the participants ranked in the percentile group from 92.5 to 95 are associated with a third Assistance Quality Group AQG 3, etc., until the participants ranked in the percentile group from 75 to 77.5 are associated with a tenth Assistance Quality Group AQG 10 and the participants ranked in the last, largest percentile group from 0 to 75 are associated with an eleventh Assistance Quality Group AQG 11, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

It is noted that any number of Assistance Quality Groups AQG are within the scope of the present invention, and that 11 groups merely represents a preferred embodiment. The number of groups actually preferred in a particular application of the invention may vary according to different parameters such as complexity, user friendliness, number of participants, etc. Hence a preferred number of AQGs may for a different application actually be, e.g., 5, whereas it for yet a different application may rather be, e.g., 20.

When said plurality of Assistance Quality Groups AQG preferably comprises 11 groups, where preferably the participants having a Margin Adjusted for Statistical Confidence MASC within the highest 2.5 percentile group, i.e. 97.5 to 100, of the overall MASC distribution are associated with a first Assistance Quality Group AQG 1, the participants having a Margin Adjusted for Statistical Confidence MASC within the next-highest 2.5 percentile group, i.e. 95 to 97.5, of the overall MASC distribution are associated with a second Assistance Quality Group AQG 2, the participants having a Margin Adjusted for Statistical Confidence MASC within the percentile group from 92.5 to 95 of the overall MASC distribution are associated with a third Assistance Quality Group AQG 3, etc., until participants having a Margin Adjusted for Statistical Confidence MASC within the percentile group from 75 to 77.5 of the overall MASC distribution are associated with a tenth Assistance Quality Group AQG 10 and participants having a Margin Adjusted for Statistical Confidence MASC within the lowest 75 percentile group, i.e. 0 to 75, of the overall MASC distribution are associated with an eleventh Assistance Quality Group AQG 11, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the betting recommendations are categorized in Assistance Quality Groups. The categorization may be based on the individual participants' ranks, MASCs or any performance metrics or combinations thereof. This categorization provides knowledge to customers regarding the probable quality of the betting recommendations. Obviously even the recommendations from the highest ranking participants may prove wrong when the actual outcome of an event, e.g. a sporting event, is known, but participants whose recommendations have proven typically true in the past may obviously be considered more reliable than participants whose recommendations have proven typically wrong in the past. By means of the Assistance Quality Groups the probable reliability of the recommendations may be easily evaluated, even when the customer has no personal knowledge of the performance of the participants or their pasts. When said information obtained from at least one of said at least two participants comprises information on said betting decisions made by the respective participant, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

When said information obtained from at least one of said at least two participants comprises information on the estimated Fair Odds regarding said betting decisions, estimated by the respective participant, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the participants provide not only their betting recommendations, but also their estimation of what odds are actually fair for each event, i.e. the odds for which the expected payoff from betting is zero. These odds provided by the participants are in the present description referred to as estimated Fair Odds. As the odds offered for betting by the bookmakers do not necessarily reflect the actual probabilities of the different outcomes of an event, but are also adjusted according to the market demands, popularity, etc., a knowledge of what odds each participant actually considers as Fair Odds is, together with knowledge of the actual outcome of the events, indicative of how familiar each participant is with the particular type of event, the particular teams, the particular tournament, the particular betting type, etc. Moreover, by collecting estimates of the odds for which the expected payoff from betting is zero, i.e. the Fair Odds, it is possible to provide advice on how much to risk on a given bet using Kelly's Criteria.

When said step of providing at least one of said at least one betting recommendation to said at least one customer comprises application of said computer network and said client computers 6, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

When said at least one betting recommendation is provided to said at least one customer as a product available for purchase, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained. When said method further comprises the step of differentiating the charge for access to betting recommendations categorized as belonging to different Assistance Quality Groups, preferably such that high-quality betting recommendations become more expensive than low-quality betting recommendations, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

When said method further comprises the step of providing said betting recommendations on a paid subscriber basis, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

When said paid subscriber basis preferably involves a choice of Assistance Quality Group and preferably a choice of subscription period, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a betting assistance subscription may be limited to a certain time period, e.g. 1 week, a certain tournament, a certain type of sport, etc. Moreover a betting assistance subscription is preferably limited to a certain Assistance Quality Group. When a customer has bought access to a certain AQG he or she is preferably given access to that AQG and all lower quality AQGs.

When said method further comprises the step of providing said betting recommendations on an online auction basis, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

When said online auction basis preferably involves a choice of Assistance Quality Group, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a bid on the online action is preferably limited to a certain Assistance Quality Group. When a customer has won access to a certain AQG he or she is preferably given access to that AQG and all lower quality AQGs.

When said online auction basis preferably involves a limitation on the number of customers that may purchase access to a certain Assistance Quality Group within a certain time period, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

Generally, by providing said betting recommendations on an online auction basis, a close to optimal price for assistance is automatically generated despite the complexity of what is being sold.

When the betting recommendations to which a customer has obtained access may comprise betting decisions made by participants and preferably together with a subset of the following parameters: betting types, dates, Margins Adjusted for Statistical Confidence MASC, Estimated Margins EM, Budget Weights, Popularity, Kelly's Criteria KC, Laying and Backing Odds, Types of sport or event, associated Tournaments, etc., an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

When said betting recommendations to which a customer has obtained access may be screened, searched, sorted and/or listed by said customer, preferably according to at least one of said parameters, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

When said Kelly's Criteria KC is established at least partly on the basis of said estimated Fair Odds obtained by said step of obtaining information from at least one of said at least two participants, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

When said betting recommendations to which a customer has obtained access may comprise performance metrics associated with the participants from which said betting recommendations has been obtained, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

When said providing betting assistance further comprises providing actual betting opportunities matching said betting recommendations to which said customer has obtained access and optionally further limited by means of said screening, searching, sorting and/or listing, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

When said providing actual betting opportunities comprises providing hyperlink to bookmakers' websites where said actual betting opportunities may be effectuated, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

When said registering said at least two participants involves a payment from or to said at least two participants, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

The payment may be charged once or repeatedly, e.g. as long as the registration is maintained. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the participants may obtain and maintain their registration for free, as the participants are an important part of a preferred application of the present invention.

When said registering said at least one customer involves a payment from said at least one customer, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

The payment may be charged once or repeatedly, e.g. as long as the registration is maintained.

When said step of paying at least one of said at least two participants remuneration comprises paying at least a part of revenues generated from said at least one customer to at least one of said at least two participants, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

When the amounts of said remunerations are based on said ranking of said participants and/or said categorization of participants' betting recommendations in Assistance Quality Groups AQG, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

When said step of paying at least one of said at least two participants remunerations comprises the step of for each Assistance Quality Group AQG remunerating each participant associated with said Assistance Quality Group AQG who have earned a positive profit within a preceding predetermined time frame by an amount of the revenues generated from said customers calculated by dividing the total revenue generated for said Assistance Quality Group AQG within said preceding predetermined time frame with the number of participants associated with said Assistance Quality Group AQG who have earned a positive profit within said preceding predetermined time frame and further multiplying the calculated amount by a predetermined remuneration percentage, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

According to the present invention the predetermined remuneration percentage is applied in order for the owner of the system to generate a revenue for himself, also. Preferred predetermined remuneration percentages comprise, e.g., 50%, 75% or 90%, thus generating revenue for the owner of 50%, 25% or 10%, respectively, of the total revenue generated by the customer purchases, but may be any percentage that preferably allows a revenue to be generated for the owner at the same time as the participants are sufficiently remunerated in order to maintain their participation.

When said participants are only remunerated according to the highest ranking and/or the best Assistance Quality Group AQG with which they have been associated within said preceding predetermined time frame, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained. When said step of paying at least one of said at least two participants remuneration is repeated at a time interval corresponding to said preceding predetermined time frame, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

When said preceding predetermined time frame is related to the purchase option at which betting assistance is provided to said at least one customer, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

The present invention further relates to a betting assistance system for establishing and providing betting assistance, comprising at least two participants and at least one customer, and further comprising means for communicating with said at least two participants and said at least one customer, means for obtaining betting recommendations from at least one of said at least two participants, means for establishing performance metrics for said at least two participants one the basis of previous said betting recommendations obtained from said participants and actual outcomes of associated events, means for ranking said at least two participants according to said performance metrics, means for categorizing said betting recommendations according to said performance metrics of said participants from which said betting recommendations are obtained, means for providing a subset of said categorized betting recommendations to said at least one customer on a paid subscriber basis and/or an online auction basis, means for generating revenue from said customer, and means for remunerating at least one of said at least two participants by at least a part of said revenue.

The present invention further relates to a computer program comprising computer instructions for carrying out a method of establishing and providing betting assistance as described above, when said computer program is executed by a computer.

When said computer program is stored on computer readable media, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained. According to the present invention, a computer readable media may comprise hard disks, floppy disks, CD-ROM's, Flash storage means, or any other suitable media.

When said computer program comprises a web application, an advantageous embodiment of the present invention has been obtained.

According to the present invention, the computer program is preferably implemented as a web application as such an application facilitates efficient long-distance user interactivity in a form generally well-known to the potential users, i.e. participants and customers.

The present invention further relates to a computer program product comprising computer readable media on which computer instructions for carrying out a method of establishing and providing betting assistance as described above when executed by a computer, are stored.

The present invention comprises a system, enabled by a system of interacting servers and computers, for providing sports betting assistance to online sports betters in general. The sports betting assistance system according to the present invention is characterised by the steps of:

1. Creation of a virtual online sports betting marketplace. 2. Attracting online sports betters. 3. Establishing competition between said online sports betters based on innovative rules that guarantee the complete fairness of said competition whilst facilitating a meaningful supply of sports betting assistance. 4. Calculating on an ongoing basis innovative performance metrics related to betting accounts in accordance with modern statistics theory to continually measure the performance of said sports betters within said online sports betting marketplace. 5. Ranking said sports betters on an ongoing basis according to said performance metrics. 6. Granting customers rule-based access to sports betting decisions made within said marketplace via subscriptions, online auctions, or on a free basis, before the sporting events, which said sports betting decisions concern, have been settled. 7. Enabling said customers to screen, sort and list said sports betting decisions according to different criteria. 8. Paying said sports betters rule-based remunerating deriving from revenue earned from said subscriptions and said auctions.

The central advantage of the sports betting assistance system according to the present invention is that it permits that majority of online sports betters who are plagued by consistent losses from online sports betting activities, to earn consistent profits from this activity by providing them with a means to benefit from the skills of that minority of online sports betters, who are able to consistently earn profits by way of speculating on the outcome of sporting events. Another central advantage of the sports betting assistance system is that it provides an avenue for said minority to obtain an income stream as sports betting advisors.

In one aspect of the present invention, online sports betters are provided with the opportunity to use their knowledge to make at least one sports betting decision, said at least one sports betting decisions forming the basis for generating and supplying information to customers, which helps said customers to make favourable sports betting decisions. Said opportunity is provided to said online sports betters at a website located on a communications network, such as the Internet, or Interactive TV, after said online sports betters have completed a successful registration procedure at the website. Online sports betters who have completed said successful registration procedure at the website are herein referred to as Members.

In another aspect of the invention, once Members have successfully registered at the website, funds are allocated to their sports betting account. Said funds are allocated as separate amounts, said amounts consisting of virtual money that permit said Members to hone their skills without risking their financial security.

In another aspect of the invention, said virtual money serves the purpose of allowing Members to effectuate betting decisions, if said Members so wishes. In another aspect of the invention, said virtual money allocated as one particular separate amount is related to a given period of time in such a manner, that it can only be used to effectuate sports betting decisions about sporting events settled within said given period of time. This aspect helps facilitate the creation of betting expenditure patterns actually followed by recipients of assistance, by effectively establishing a budget restriction, which in turn serves to facilitate useful assistance.

In another aspect of the invention, any unused said virtual money allocated as one particular separate amount, and related to a given period of time, is removed from the betting account of each individual Member by the system, and replaced by virtual money allocated as another particular separate amount, related to another given period of time. This aspect ensures that Members do not terminally run out of funds, which in turn ensures that said Members may be a continuous source of sports betting assistance, but also facilitates the calculation of the Budget Weight value, which will be defined in the section: Best Mode of Carrying Out the Invention.

In another aspect of the invention, a sports betting decision about a given sporting event must be effectuated before the start of a predetermined access timeframe, which begins before said given sporting event commences, facilitating the generation of sports betting assistance that customers have time to react on.

In another aspect of the invention, the sports betting decisions made by an individual Member about a given sporting event, is not communicated to other Members, or to customer, at least until said predetermined timeframe commences, critically ensuring the possibility of introducing true and honest competition, and in turn creating the basis for supplying credible sports betting assistance.

In another aspect of the invention, Members effectuate their sports betting decisions at odds deriving from at least one actual online betting marketplace, said odds being reported to said Members by electronic communication, via a communications network that facilitates real-time or near real-time operation, to permit timely sports betting assistance. In another aspect of the invention, rule-based competition is introduced between Members, to harness the competitive forces required to identify Members with superior knowledge, so that said Members with superior knowledge can become the primary source of credible assistance.

In another aspect of the invention, information about the outcome of sporting events, and information about the sporting decisions made by Members, is used to derive performance metrics, which are valid and reliable indicators of knowledge.

In another aspect of the invention, said information about the outcome of sporting events is obtained by the system from a third party via a communications network that facilitates real-time or near real-time operation, to permit timely sports betting assistance.

In another aspect of the invention, said performance metrics include the innovative: a) Margins Adjusted for Statistical Confidence (MASC), b) Polar Rates (PR), c) Advance On Market (AOM), and d) Fair Odds Margins (FOM) These will be defined in detail in the section: Best Mode of Carrying Out the Invention.

In another aspect of the invention, the performance metrics are applied across different fields and situations within said fields, within a broad range of sports, facilitating an identification of the strengths and weaknesses of individual Members and groups of Members.

In another aspect of the invention, the performance metrics of Members are displayed graphically and numerically in analytical reports on the website, for viewing by said Members, thereby permitting Members to see how they are performing, where they can do better, how Members are doing relative to each other, and what types of decisions have served different Members well. In another aspect of the invention, said analytical reports containing performance metrics are also made available for viewing by customers, either on a free basis or on a paid basis, so that customer too may learn and improve.

In another aspect of the invention, said performance metrics are used to rank Members, facilitating a credible identification and separation of Members with superior skills from Members with inferior skills.

In another aspect of the invention, the type of rank applied is a measure of relative standing, such as percentiles, which facilitates the precise specification of levels of assistance, the quality of which remains stable even as the number of Members increase. The system also applies a measure of absolute standing, to facilitate a precise distinction between individual said Members.

In another aspect of the invention, prizes are regularly awarded to Members on the basis of rank, said rank being posted on the website, creating a significant event for Members and providing them with social status.

In another aspect of the invention, access to information about sports betting decisions made by Members concerning unsettled sporting events, is made available to customers during the predetermined timeframes only, removing the possibility that Members can gain access to each others decisions by becoming customers.

In another aspect of the invention, said access is differentiated on the basis of Members' rank, and is granted to customers on at least one of the following bases: a) free basis, b) paid subscriber basis, c) online auction basis

In another aspect of the invention, said access permits customers to screen, sort and list information relating to sports betting decisions according to at least one criterion, said criterion including but not limited to: a) the rank of Members, b) the values of performance metrics, c) odds, d) the names or IDs of Members, e) Estimated Margin, f) Fair Odds, g) Budget Weight, h) Popularity and i) Kelly's Criteria, thereby allowing customers to zoom in on assistance with good quality. Estimated Margin, Fair Odds, Popularity, and Kelly's Criteria are defined in detail in the section: Best Mode of Carrying Out the Invention.

In another aspect of the invention, revenue deriving from said subscriber basis and said online auction basis is distributed to some or all Members, in a manner related to their relative rank, providing an avenue for Members to obtain benefits from being sports betting advisors.

In another aspect of the invention, said benefits also include read and posting privileges on bulletin boards on the website, where the rank of the individual Member determines which bulletin board he or she has read and posting privileges to, thereby restricting direct communication between Members, unless they have near equivalent knowledge.

The drawings

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing a sports betting assistance system according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a flow diagram showing the steps required to access the betting services provided to Members by the system;

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the rule governing the relation between amounts allocated within a betting account, and given periods of time;

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram indicating the specific rules used in the best mode of implementation, concerning the timing of assistance access and rules for the timing bet effectuation;

Figure 5 is a schematic diagram indicating the general rules concerning the timing of assistance access and rules for the timing bet effectuation;

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram indicating the sequence of steps from Member ranking to differential access to assistance, via cataloguing of decisions;

Figure 7 is a flow diagram showing the steps required to access the betting services provided to Registered Customers by the system; Figure 8 is a screen shot of the subscription panel;

Figure 9 is a screen shot of the auction panel;

Figure 10 is a screen shot indicating how Registered Customers may control information about sports betting decisions made by Members to zoom in on good advice.

Detailed description

The following detailed description illustrates by way of example, not by way of limitation, the principles of the invention. The description will clearly enable one skilled in the art to make and use the invention, and includes what is presently believed to be the best mode of carrying out the Sports Betting Assistance System.

Overview of the Sports Betting Assistance System:

Referring to Figure 1, a Sports Betting Assistance System according to the invention is implemented on a server 1, connected to a database server 2. The database server 2 comprises storage for comprehensive sports data received electronically from online sports betting marketplaces 3, and news corporations 4, via the Internet 5. The server 1 is connected to the Internet 5. The server 1 is accessed over the Internet 5 by a plurality of client computers 6 using connections through respective Internet Service Providers 7. Access to the server 1 is restricted by known security measures. Other access methods are also envisaged, for example use of PDAs, WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) phones to access a service running on a WAP server, or Interactive TN.

The server 1 includes a web server to support web pages.

The Sports Betting Assistance System is implemented in software, and screens displayed on a website permit the execution of betting decisions and the reception of betting assistance.

Member Registration and Access:

Referring to Figure 2, a sports better wishing to use the service provided by the betting assistance system accesses the website using a standard Internet access mechanism (step ml), and if he or she has previously registered, logs-in (step m2). If the sports better has not previously registered, he or she goes through the registration procedure (step m3). The registration procedure involves filling in a personal details form on the website's Member registration page, including an e-mail address, a user name, and a password. Once the form has been submitted, a sports betting account is opened for the sports better (step m4), and the sports better is sent an e-mail containing an authentication code. The sports better is now a Member.

The first time Members log in with their username and password they are required to enter the authentication code, to validate the e-mail address given in the registration process. When Members log in subsequently they do not necessarily need to re-enter the authentication code.

Betting Services Available to Members:

The website provides Members with an opportunity to use their knowledge to make backing and laying decisions in relation to the outcome of sporting events yet to be settled. When making a backing decision in relation to an outcome, a Member bets a certain portion of virtual funds from his or her betting account that the outcome will occur, and is credited that portion of virtual funds, times the odds for this betting option, if the outcome indeed does occurs. If the outcome does not occur, the portion of virtual funds risked is lost. Conversely, when making a laying decision in relation to an outcome, a Member bets a portion of funds from his or her betting account that the outcome will not occur, and is credited with twice that portion of funds if it turn out that the event does not occur. Should the outcome occur, however, the portion of funds risked, times the odds for this betting option, is lost. Backing and laying decisions made by Members comprise the basis for assistance generated by the system.

Allocation of Funds and Rules for Use Thereof:

In what is thought to be the best mode of implementing the invention, after a Member has registered to the website, the Sports Betting Assistance System generates 2000 units of virtual currency and allocates these to the Member's betting account in the form of two separate amounts of 1000 units. Using these amounts the Member can effectuate backing and laying decisions if he or she wishes, but as Figure 3 illustrates, the virtual currency comprising the first amount of 1000 units is related to a given period in such a way, that only backing and laying decisions relating to sporting events actually settled in that given period can be effectuated using this currency. Similarly, the virtual currency comprising the second separate amount of 1000 units is related to another given period in such a way that only backing and laying decisions relating to sporting events actually settled in that period can be effectuated using this second separate amount of 1000 units.

In what is thought to be the best mode of implementing the system, the mentioned given periods each have the duration of precisely one week, and at midnight between Sunday and Monday (all times mentioned herein are for the benefit of this application EST), any unused units, including profits, of virtual currency that were part of the separate amount related to the last 168 hours, are removed from the sports betting account, and replaced by virtual currency comprising another separate amount of 1000 units, related to the week commencing 168 hours from that moment.

Although virtual currency comprising a standard amount of 1000 units may be related to a given period of 168 hours, and may therefore in principle be used to back and lay the outcome of sporting events settled within those 168 hours, in what is thought to be the best mode of implementing the Sports Betting Assistance System, Members can only make decisions concerning a given sporting event at least 6 hours before said sporting event commences, and sometimes up to 30 hours before it commences, as Figure 4 clarifies, and as Figure 5 indicates generally. Moreover, the Sports Betting Assistance System ensures that all betting decisions made by Members in relation to a given sporting event, will remain known only to this individual Member, until at least 6 hours before this sporting event commences, and sometimes up to 30 hours before it commences.

Effectuating Sports Betting Decis ions :

Database server 2 is implemented to receive odds electronically to facilitate their display on the website. Odds are received in real-time from a plurality of actual online sports betting marketplaces 3, such as those owned by registered bookmakers, and are displayed in real-time on the website. Members have access to odds on a coupon of open sporting events for the current week and the subsequent week. The coupon also contains information about the date on which a given sporting events takes place, the time until the sport event is closed, the sport in question, the tournament in question, the sporting event in question, and the betting options available for the given sporting event. In what is thought to be the best mode of implementing the invention, only the highest odds available for backing and the lowest odds available for laying a given outcome are displayed on the coupon, implying that odds for a given betting option relating to a given sporting event, do therefore not necessarily derive from the same actual sports betting marketplace.

Note that a sporting event is closed with certainty when there are 6 hours or less until the sporting event commences, after which it is no longer available on the coupon, although some sporting events may in principle be closed up to 30 hours before said sporting events commence. Similarly, a sporting event is open with certainty when there are more than 30 hours until it commences, although a sporting event may in principle be still be open 6 hours before it starts.

The coupon is dynamic and the actual coupon displayed is a result of a search process conducted by an individual Member via a search module they have available after they log-in. Using this module, Members can quickly and easily decide what types of sport they wish the coupon to contain, what tournaments within this type of sport that should be included, specific dates of sporting events within these tournaments that interest them, and Members can narrow down the sporting events to be displayed on the coupon even further, by screening for odds that match certain criteria. For example a Member can request that odds for backing the home team to win, must be higher than the odds for backing the away team to win.

Like said module, the coupon also serves as a means to create a shortlist of sports betting options. Once a Member has studied the coupon and decided if there are any favourable opportunities, to the best of his or her knowledge, the Member can use a pointing device on the coupon to select these opportunities. This action effectively tells the system to generate a web page containing a dynamic shortlist of minimum all said favourable opportunities, insofar as they do not relate to sporting events closed in the meantime. The shortlist may contain more options than those indicated as being favourable in the last coupon session. Indeed, the Sports Betting Assistance System recalls all betting options for sporting events still open and not effectuated that were indicated by the Member as being favourable in any coupon session, and displays them on the shortlist for said Member.

Like the coupon, the shortlist contains information about the date on which a given sporting events takes place, the time until the sport event is closed, the sport in question, the tournament in question, and the sporting event in question. In addition the shortlist contains information about the specific betting option previously indicated as favourable on the coupon, and the current odds, as continually received by server 2, for that option. For example, an option to back Manchester United to beat Leeds at odds 1.50.

Significantly, the shortlist also provides a Member with the option of indicating his or her estimate of Fair Odds, for each betting option displayed. The odds for which a betting option contains no margin is the Fair Odds for that betting option. More specifically, when a Member indicates his or her estimate of Fair Odds for a betting option, he or she is providing the odds, which to his or her best knowledge, satisfies the following equation: Margin = 1 - Odds*Prob(outcome) = 0. In other words, the Member is implicitly estimating the probability of the outcome in question occurring.

Finally, the shortlist provides a Member with the opportunity to effectuate backing and laying decisions using the virtual currency contained in said Member's betting account, if he or she wishes. To effectuate a backing or laying decision a Member must indicate on the shortlist the amount of virtual currency that he or she wishes to back or lay an outcome with, after which a pointing device can be used to send the request to the system, which will in turn check to see if the relevant separate amount within the Member's account contains sufficient funds. If there are sufficient funds available to accept a Member's bet, the virtual currency risked will be debited from the related separate amount within said Member's betting account. Moreover, information about the odds at which said betting decision was effectuated, and information about the units of virtual currency risked, will be noted and stored by the Sports Betting Assistance System. The shortlist will thereafter be updated, removing from display the betting options now effectuated. If there on the contrary is not sufficient virtual currency available to accept a Member's bet, the Sports Betting Assistance System will display a message explaining this fact, and said Member will be asked to adjust unit values.

The Sports Betting Assistance System always assumes the worst-case scenario in relation to laying decisions. In fact, to have a laying decision accepted by the system, a Member must have in his or her account at least the amount of units risked, times the odds for the betting option in question at the time the request was sent. This is to ensure that all possible liabilities can be paid, without creating a negative balance in the sports betting account. Note also that since the system always assumes the worst- case scenario in relation to laying decisions, balances indicated by the system in relation to units remaining of the separate amounts, have had all possible liabilities deducted. Now, if the possibility of incurring a liability disappears because of a bet being won, that which was previously a possible liability is added to the units remaining in the related separate amount, but if a liability is removed because a bet has been lost, nothing further happens. Table 1 illustrate this principle and can be compared with Table 2, which illustrates the effect of a decision to back an event:

Table 1 : A decision to lay

Table 2: A decision to back

The Sports Betting Assistance System provides Members with the opportunity to list and view all those sports betting decisions they have effectuated, and which relate to sporting events still not settled. This list, herein referred to as the decision list, contains information about the date on which a given sporting events takes place, the time until the sport event is settled, the sport in question, the tournament in question, and the sporting event in question. The decision list also provides information about the betting options effectuated, the odds at which betting options were effectuated, related Fair Odds submitted, and the amount of virtual currency units used to effectuate each betting option.

Performance Metrics Using information received electronically by database server 2 from news corporations 4 about the outcome of sporting events previously contained on the coupon, and information about effectuated backing and laying decisions made via the shortlist, the Sports Betting Assistance System generates and updates metrics on an ongoing basis, which serves to measure the sports betting skills of individual Members. More precisely, the system cross checks information about sporting event outcomes received via server 2, with effectuated backing and laying decisions made by Members, and updates performance metrics of Members who have had one or more bets decided since the previous update. All performance metrics may be calculated on the basis of betting decisions made in relation to every type of sport, but they may also be calculated on the basis of betting decisions made in relation to a specific type of sport only. In the latter case this means that all information relating to decisions made concerning sports not equal to the sport in focus, will be disregarded in the calculation.

Performance metrics may be decomposed further, so that they are based on decisions made about events belonging to all tournaments within a given type of sport, or a given tournament only. In the latter case, not only will information relating decisions about sports not in focus be disregarded, but only information relating to decisions relating to a given tournament within the type of sport in focus will serve part of the calculation.

Finally, some performance metrics concern backing decisions only, or laying decision only, while others concern both laying decisions and backing decisions. For all metrics the general rule applies, that they are related only to those sporting events that have actually been settled at the time of calculation.

The following subscript lowercase letters will be used to explain the calculation of performance metrics:

_s Serves as a reminder that a value may be decomposed to concern information about betting decisions relating to a single type of sport only, or alternatively not decomposed and hence relating to all sports. _t Serves as a reminder that a value may be decomposed to concern information about betting decisions relating a single tournament, or alternatively not decomposed and hence relating to all tournaments within the sport in focus. i Indicate that a value may be decomposed to concern information about laying decisions only. Generally, if subscript 1 is present without subscript b, the value always concerns laying decisions only. _b Indicate that a value may be decomposed to concern information about backing decisions only. Generally, if subscript b is present without subscript 1, the value always concerns laying decisions only. The following will be used to explain the calculation of performance metrics:

A_s,_t,ι,_b Total number of effectuated bets made by the Member B_s,t,ι,b Total number of units risked by the Member

C_s,_t,ι,_b Total number of units returned to the Member

Ds.t.l.b Cs,t,l,b Bs,t,l,b - 1

Es,_t,ι,_b Sum of odds at which bets have been effectuated by the Member

F_s,t,l,b E_s,t,l,b A_s,t,l,b G_s>t,ι,b Total number of bets won by the Member

H_s,t,ι,b [(Gs.t.i.b/As.t.i.b) ^• (1 - Gg.t.i.b/As.t.i.b)] / A_Sjt,ι,b

I Nalue obtained from a probability distribution corresponding to a specific confidence coefficient.

Js,_t,ι,_b Total number of units returned to the Member at Fair Odds estimated by said Member.

K_s,t,l,b Js.t.l.b Bs.t.l.b - 1

L_s,t,ι,b Sum of Fair Odds estimated by the Member

M_s,t,l,b L_S)t,l,b/A_s,t,l,b

Ν_s,_t,ι,_b The total number of times a Member has bet on a home team. P_s,_t,ι,_b One divided by the odds for a given bet on a home team, which the Member has made. Q_s>t,_b Sum of P's for which the home team has lost.

R_S)t,ι Sum of P's for which the home team has won.

Ts,t,ι,b The total number of times a Member has bet on an away team U_s,_t,ι,_b One divided by the odds for a given bet on an away team, which the Member has made. N_S)t,_b Sum of T's for which the away team has lost.

Ws,_t,ι Sum of T's for which the away team has won.

X_s,_t,ι,_b Odds at which the Member has bet on an outcome. Y_S)t)b The highest currently available odds in the actual sports betting market for an outcome, on which the Member has bet Z_s,_t,ι The lowest currently available odds in the actual sports betting market for an outcome, on which the Member has bet Φ_S)t,b 1 Xs.t.b - 1 Ys.t.b

Ψ_s,_t;1 l/X_s.u - l/Z_s._t,_! Ω_S)t)b The sum of all Φ_s>t,_b's for a Member

Δ_s,_t,ι The sum of all Ψ_s>t,ι's for a Member

In words, and mathematically, the performance metrics preferably calculated by the Sports Betting Assistance System, are as follows:

Margin Adjusted for Statistical Confidence (MASC): This class of metric is generally any profit margin obtained from sports betting, adjusted for statistical confidence, where said statistical confidence is a function of the number of betting decisions effectuated to reach that profit margin, and the odds at which bets are effectuated.

1/2

For backing decisions: MASC_S)t,b = D_s,_t)b - 1 ^• F_Sιt,b ^• H_S)tjb

11

For laying decisions: MASC_{Sj >}ι = D_Sιt,ι - 1 ^• F_S) ,ι ^• H_s,_t,ι

Fair Odds Margin (FOM): This metric is very similar to MASC except that odds used in the calculation are not the odds at which the Member has made decisions, but the fair odds which the Member has estimated on the short-list as part of his or her decision-making process. Also, unlike MASC, which is calculated as the lower bound of a confidence interval, FOM is tested by the Sports Betting Assistance System in order to discover if the value is significantly different from zero.

For backing decisions: FOM_s,_t,b = K_S)t)b ± I ^• M_s>t>b ^• H_s,t,b^1/2

For laying decisions: FOM_s>t,ι = K_S)t,ι ± I ^• M_S)t,ι ^• H_S)t,ι^1/2 If 0 does not lie in the Fair Odds Margin interval, the Sports Betting Assistance System will reject the null hypothesis, that the Fair Odds Margin is equal to zero, indicating that the given Member has not been accurate in estimating Fair Odds, and hence underlying probabilities.

Polar Rate (PR): This metric indicates the number of times a Member has bet on a home team to win (lose), when in fact an away team lost (won), and the number of times a Member has bet on an away team to win (lose), when in fact a home team lost (won), standardised by adjusting for implied probability. To calculate PR, the system makes use of the following pieces of information.

For backing decisions: PR_s,t,b = Qs,t,b / N_s>t)b + N_s,t,b / T_S;t,b

For laying decisions: PR_S)t,ι = R _s,t,ι / Ν _s,t,ι + W _s,t,ι / T _s,_t)ι

Advance On Market (AOM): This metric indicates the skill of a Member by tracking odds for outcomes after said Member has backed or laid said outcomes.

For backing decisions: AOM _Sιt,b = Ω_s,t,b / A _Sιt,b

For backing decisions: AOM _S)t,ι = Δ_s,t,ι / A _s,t,ι

Analytical Reports:

The Sports Betting Assistance System generates analytical reports about the performance of each Member, and displays them on web pages remaining private to each Member, unless a Member has specifically allowed them to be viewed by the general public. The analytical reports numerically and graphically depict those metrics that serve to measure the sports betting skills of the individual Member, and a Member can use his or her report as positive or negative feedback on performance, facilitating a change in strategy, if need be. The analytical reports also include a list of betting history, information about the Member's rank, and information about the performance of different percentile groups of Members. The analytical reports are dynamic and facilitate the viewing of performance data relating to specific types of sporting events and tournaments within different types of sport, and over any time period, thereby permitting a Member to see precisely where he or she is doing well, and not so well.

The Ranking System and Prizes:

The Sports Betting Assistance System ranks on an ongoing basis, that is to say at the rate metrics are changed, Members according to either their overall (that is to say, using no decomposition in terms of sport or tournaments) MASCb or their overall MASCi, whichever is highest, at a 90% confidence interval, and thereby facilitates a credible identification and separation of Members with superior skills from Members with inferior skills. For example, a Member whose MASCb is 0.15 and whose MASCi is 0.10 will enter the rank on the basis of his or her MASC_b. In the event of a Member's MASCb being equal to his or her MASCi, MASCb will be applied for ranking purposes. The ranking system applied is a percentile ranking that facilitates a precise specification of, and distinction between, different groups within the distribution of MASC values, which in turn facilitates a precise specification of distinct levels of sports betting assistance, the quality of which remain stable even as the number of Members increase. Prizes are awarded to top ranking Members over different time horizons such as 1 week, 4 weeks, 12 weeks, 24 weeks, and 48 weeks, said ranking being posted on the website for public appreciation.

The Supply of Assistance and Rules Thereof:

As Figure 4 illustrates, the Sports Betting Assistance System is configured to follow a calendar mechanism governing the timing of assistance. In what is thought to be the best mode of implementing the invention, at 6pm every day, all betting decisions made by Members in relation to sporting events commencing in the 24hour period starting 6 hours from that moment, are potentially available for viewing by customers. For example, on Friday 23rd January, 6pm, customers may potentially access all those sports betting decisions made in relation to sporting events commencing Saturday 24th January. While it is true that every day at 6pm all betting decisions made by Members in relation to sporting events commencing in the 24 hour period starting 6 hours from that moment, are potentially viewable, the present invention differentiates access to these betting decisions according to the MASC percentile ranking system, which facilitates tuning the quality of assistance supplied by the present invention by means of configuring this assistance in a way so that it originates from betting decisions made by Members with varying skills, as indicated by their MASC. More specifically, as Figure 6 illustrates, the Sports Betting Assistance System continually catalogues sports betting decisions according to distinct Assistance Quality Groups (AQG), by separating sports betting decisions made by Members belonging one distinct percentile group, from those sports betting decisions made by Members belonging to another distinct percentile group.

The Sports Betting Assistance System divides, on an ongoing basis, the distribution of MASC values into 11 distinct groups, each containing sports betting decisions made by Members belonging that distinct percentile group. Each of the distinct percentile groups contains 2.5 percentile points, except for one consisting of the smallest 75 percentiles. AQG 1 is related to the percentile range in the distribution of MASC values from 97.5 to 100, herein referred to as level 1. AQG 2 is related to the percentile range in the distribution of MASC values from 95 to 97.5, herein referred to as level 2, and so. AQG 11 is related to the percentile in the distribution of MASC values from 0 to 75, and is referred to as the default level.

Customer Registration: The backing and laying decisions made by Members comprise the basis for assistance generated by the system, which may be received by registered customers. Referring to Figure 5, a customer wishing to receive assistance from the present invention, accesses the website using a standard Internet access mechanism (step cl), and if he or she has previously registered, logs-in (step c2). If the customer has not previously registered, he or she goes through the registration procedure (step c3). The registration procedure involves filling in a personal details form on the website's customer registration page, including an e-mail address, a user name and a password, as well as the currency in which the customer would like his or her assistance account be managed. At the same time, an assistance account is opened for the customer (step c4). Money can be deposited into the assistance account via an Internet secure cash payment system, by telegraphic transfer or by telephone. Once the assistance account has been opened, the customer is sent e-mail containing an authentication code. The customer is now a Registered Customer.

The first time that a Registered Customer logs in with their username and password they are required to enter the authentication code, to validate the e-mail address given in the registration process. When a Customer logs in subsequently he or she does not need to re-enter the authentication code.

Customer Welcome:

Once a Registered Customer has logged on, the system displays information about the times for which assistance has been purchased, and the level of access purchased for these times. For example, the system may indicate that assistance has been purchased for Monday 12th January 2004 till Sunday 18th January 2004, implying that the Registered Customer in question has access to betting decisions made by Members relating to sporting events settled on those days. Also displayed is information about when a new access timeframe begins, and information about the amount of funds available in the assistance account, and personal details that can be updated.

Assistance Through Subscriptions:

The system provides an opportunity for Registered Customers to purchase sports betting assistance in two distinct ways, after they have logged on to the website. The first manner in which sports betting assistance can be purchased is through subscription, the second manner being through participation in online auctions. A subscription screen generated by the Sports Betting Assistance System and displayed on the website provides each Registered Customer with the opportunity to subscribe to sports betting assistance. Subscriptions are on a weekly basis and allow access to sports betting decisions made by Members in relation to sporting events settled in a period starting midnight between Sunday and Monday and ending 168 hours later. If a Registered Customer wishes to subscribe for a given week, then he or she must do so at least before the subscription period starts, that is to say, at least before Sunday 6pm, which is the time when all sports betting decisions made by Members in relation to sporting events settled Monday are potentially viewable. For example, if a Registered Customers wishes to receive assistance via subscription for Week 2, 2004, then he or she must ensure that subscription has been purchased before Sunday 6pm, Week 1.

Registered Customers can purchase subscription to sports betting assistance up to 2 week in advance. These 2 weeks are indicated on a panel to the left on the subscription screen. Using a pointing device, the Registered Customer can click on a desired week, after which the system displays a large detailed subscription panel in the centre of the screen. The panel is divided into three sections. In the first section of the panel, the system indicates 10 levels of assistance that may be purchased, and a fixed price for each level of assistance.

For each level of assistance provided by the system is a corresponding highest AQG. More precisely, a purchase of level 1 assistance permits viewing of sports betting decisions contained within all AQGs, including the AQG associated with Members whose MASC value is placed within the percentile range 97.5 to 100. Similarly, a purchase of level 2 assistance permits viewing of sports betting decisions contained within AQGs up to and including the AQG associated with Members whose MASC value is placed within the percentile range 95 to 97.5. So on until level 10 assistance, the purchase of which permits viewing of sports betting decisions contained within AQGs up to and including the AQG associated with Members whose MASC value is placed within the percentile range 75 to 77.5. Access to the 11th AQG is by default made freely available by the system, and this level of assistance is therefore not indicated on the subscription screen.

In the first section of the panel the system also generates information buttons corresponding to each level of assistance. Using a pointing device to click on these buttons prompts the system to display a time-series graph in a second section of the subscription panel, which shows the average cumulative surplus values for the highest AQG accessible through purchase of the corresponding level of access. This graph can be analysed over any time period.

If the Registered Customer selects a level of assistance by clicking on it using his or her pointing device, the system informs the Registered Customer, via a third section of the panel, that he or she is about to purchase the given level of assistance for the week in question, and that the purchase can be confirmed by pressing ACCEPT. Should the Registered Customer choose to confirm the purchase, the corresponding sum of money will be deducted from his or her assistance account. Are there insufficient funds available on this account, however, then the system will generate a message informing the Registered Customer of this fact, and the purchase will be cancelled.

Assistance Through Online Auctions:

As Figure 8 illustrates, an auction screen generated by the Sports Betting Assistance System and displayed on the website provides each Registered Customer with the opportunity to purchase sports betting assistance through participation in online auctions held on the website. A given auction concerns access rights to a given level of assistance, for one day only. More specifically, a given auction concerns access rights to those sports betting decisions made by Members in relation to sporting events settled on a given day, the access rights being associated with a given level of assistance. A given auction ends 6 hours before the related day begins and started 168 hours prior to that. For example, an auction concerning access rights to those sports betting decisions made by Members in relation to sporting events settled on Saturday 17th January 2004, and associated with a given level of assistance, ends Friday 16th January 2004 at 6pm and was initiated Friday 9th January 2004 at 6pm.

To the left on the auction screen the Sports Betting Assistance System indicates 7 dates relating to auctions in progress. By clicking on one of these dates using a pointing device, a registered customer will prompt the system to display an auction panel in the centre of the auction screen, which serves the purpose of allowing the registered customer to participate in auctions concerning access rights to those sports betting decisions made by Members in relation to sporting events settled on the date selected. For example, a Registered Customer selecting the date 17-01-2004 will prompt the system to display an auction panel in the centre of the screen, which serves the purpose of allowing the Registered Customer to participate in auctions concerning access rights to those sports betting decisions made by Members in relation to sporting events settled on 17-01-2004.

The auction panel is divided into three sections. In the first section the system indicates 10 levels of assistance, and for each of these a corresponding minimum bid to secure an access rights. Also present in the first panel are input boxes corresponding to each of the 10 levels of assistance. Using these input boxes a Registered Member can place a bid of a size greater than the minimum values indicated, and effectuate this bid by clicking on the corresponding DONE. Should a Registered Member wish to effectuate a bid equal to one of the minimum values indicated, then he or she merely needs to click on the indicated value. The auction mechanism adopted by the system is illustrated using the example of an auction relating to 15th January 2004:

The Auction Mechanism By Way Of Example:

Assume that only two access rights are available for each level of assistance from 1 to 10, and assume further that the auction in question has only just begun, so that no bids have yet been placed for any level of assistance. Tom is the first Registered Customer to access his auction panel, and the system indicates that for all levels of assistance the minimum bid required to secure an access rights is £0.00. Tom decides to place a bid of £0.00 for assistance level 1, and the system accepts his bid. Dick is next accesses his auction panel. Although Tom has already secured an access right to the first level of assistance, the system also indicates to Dick that for all levels of assistance the minimum bid required to secure an access rights is £0.00. The system does this because for all levels of assistance there are access rights not yet claimed. Dick places a bid of £0.00 for assistance level 1, and the system accepts his bid too. Harry now comes along and is the third Registered Customer to access his auction panel. Unlike what the system indicated for Tom and Dick when they arrived, the system now indicates that the minimum bid required to secure an access right to level 1 assistance is £0.10, which is the minimum bid increment accepted by the system.

Harry is rich in money, but not rich in time, so he decides that instead of placing tiny bids of £0.10 increments, he will place an alternative larger bid of £5 using the input box in the first section of his auction panel, and will return near the auction's deadline to check its status. The system accepts Harry's bid and deducts £5 from his assistance account. In so doing the system hands Harry the right previously held by Dick, because there are only two access rights available to assistance level 1, and even though Tom and Dick had placed equal bids, Dick placed his bid after Tom.

Dick has now lost his access right to level 1, but in the first section of his auction panel he had selected and option to allow relegation, so instead of now not having any access rights besides those he has by default, he automatically obtains an access right to the highest level of assistance besides level 1, which his previously accepted bid can afford. In the present example that is level 2. Should it occur that upon relegation a bid is not large enough to secure an access right even to level 10, then the amount of the bid is credited to the assistance account of the Registered Customer whose bid it was, and this Registered Customer will only have access to the default level of assistance, at least until such time that a sufficiently large bid is placed.

Soon other Registered Members too access their auction panels and placed bids. Indeed, Harry soon has no access rights at all. First Mildred bids £5.10 pushing Dick from level 1 to level 2 (Dick allows relegation), and then Rupert bids £5.10 for level 1 also, and thereby claims the right previously held by Harry, who does not allow relegation. Upon handing Rupert the right previously held by Harry, the system places Harry's £5 back in his assistance account. Table 3 on the following page summarises the status of the illustrated auction:

Note that if a Registered Member was to make a bid £0.10 for a level from 3 to 10 in the situation above, then the result would be that the Registered Member placing this bid would end up obtaining Dick's access right to level 2, and Dick would be relegated to level 3. The system always seeks to maximise the value of a bid on behalf of Registered Members. Note also that if a Registered Member was to place an invalid bid, whether it be because the bid has a non-numerical value, because there are insufficient funds available in the Registered Member's assistance account to place a bid of the size indicated, or because the bid is insufficiently high to claim an access right to the corresponding level of assistance, then the system will provide Registered Members with information explaining these details, and the bid will not be accepted.

Table 3.

Suppose the development of the auction was such that the situation illustrated by Table 4 below came to pass, because George makes a bid of £5.20 to earn an access right to level 1. If in this situation Rupert was to make a renewed bid for an access right to level 1 of £6.00, then his account would be debited with £6 minus £5.10 and his access right to level 2 would become available. If Mildred allows relegation she would claim this access right, but if she does not, her account would be credited with £5.10, and then Tom would claim it, while Dick would claim the access right now made available by Tom.

Table 4.

On 14 January 2004 6pm the auction closes and the status of access rights at that moment is final.

The last two sections of the auction panel contains information about the number of sports betting decisions contained within each AQG corresponding to each level of assistance from 1 to 10. One section contains this information in the form of a bar graph, while the second section contains the information numerically in table form. Using this information each Registered Customer may derive a subjective estimate of the value assistance generated by the system has for them, and they can thereafter place their bids accordingly. Note that during an auction, the values indicated numerically in table form, or via the bar graph, may change as a result of sports betting decisions continually being settled, and the system continually apprising metrics, which may well change a Member's MASC percentile rank.

Accessing Sports Betting Assistance

A sports betting assistance screen generated by the system and displayed on the website, provides Registered Customers with the opportunity to access sports betting decisions made by Members. As Figure 9 illustrates, the assistance screen displays a large panel divided in two sections. Above this panel the system indicates to the Registered Customer what level of assistance he or she has his access rights to and that the sports assistance available is related to sport events settled on a given day. The rules of access are such, that a Registered Customer will have access to sports betting decisions made by Members in relation to sporting events settled on a given day, at 6 pm the day before. Because of this rule, a Registered Customer will at least have default access to decisions associated with two consecutive days from 6pm till midnight on any day, and will have access to decisions associated with a single day only, from midnight till 6pm every day. For example, at 7pm on Friday 16 January 2004, the system will indicate to a Registered Customer that he or she has an access right to a given level in relation to sporting events settled on Saturday 17 January 2004, and access right to a given level in relation to sporting events settled on Friday 16 January 2004. At lam on Saturday 17 2004, however, the system will indicate to the Registered Customer that he or she has an access right to a given level in relation to sporting events settled on Saturday 17 January 2004 only.

The top section of the sports betting assistance panel provides Registered Customers with the opportunity to manipulate a population of sports betting decisions made by Members via search, screen, sort, and list, the size of said population being governed by the access rights of the Registered Customer and of course how many betting decisions have been made by Members in relation to sporting events settled on the day for which access rights are related. A Registered Customer who has access rights to level 1 assistance will, as explained previously, have access to sports betting decisions made by Members belonging to all AQGs, and will therefore generally have a greater population of sports betting decisions to search through.

The top section of the sports betting assistance panel provides Registered Customers with the opportunity to screen, sort, and list, sports betting decisions made by Members according to the following criteria:

Decision Type: A registered Customer must specify if he or she wishes advice in relation to laying decisions, backing decisions, or both types of decisions.

Date: A Registered Customer can specify that only information about sports betting decisions made by Members, relating to sporting events settled on a certain date, should be considered.

Minimum MASC Percentile: A Registered Customer can specify that only information about sports betting decisions made by Members, whose MASC percentile is above a certain value, should be considered. Note that if a minimum MASC percentile value is chosen that is above that which the access rights of the Registered Customer permits, then the system will provide information about this fact, and the Registered Customer will be asked to adjust his chosen minimum MASC percentile downward.

Maximum MASC Percentile: A Registered Customer can specify that only information about sports betting decisions made by Members, whose MASC percentile is below a certain value, should be considered.

FOM not significantly different from zero: A Registered Customer can specify that only information about sports betting decisions made by Members, for whom the Sports Betting Assistance System has not rejected the null hypothesis: FOM=0, should be considered. Estimated Margin (EM): A Registered Customer can specify that only betting decisions relating to outcomes for which the current Estimated Margin is above a certain value, should be considered, where Estimated Margin in relation to backing decisions is defined as:

EM_B = - [1 - (OddSβnow Fair_aVr)]

and Estimated Margin in relation to laying decisions is defined as:

EM_L = 1 - (OddsLnow / Fair_aVr)

where Oddsβnow denotes the current maximum odds for the backing opportunity in question, Od s now denotes the current minimum odds for the laying opportunity in question, and Fair_avr denotes the average Fair Odds in relation to the betting option in question, as indicated by those Members placed within the range between the maximum MASC percentile and the minimum MASC percentile chosen by the Registered Customer.

Budget Weight: A Registered Customer can specify that only betting decisions relating to outcomes backed or layed with an average Budget Weight greater than some value by those Members placed within the range between maximum MASC percentile and minimum MASC percentile as chosen by this Registered Customer, should be considered. An individual Member's Budget Weight in relation to a given bet, is the amount of funds risked on this bet, expressed as a fraction of the maximum amount the Member's could have risked.

Popularity: A Registered Customer can specify that only bets backed or layed by more than a certain number of Members placed within the range between maximum MASC percentile and minimum MASC percentile chosen by this Registered Customer, should be considered. Kelly's Criteria (KC): A Registered Customer can specify that only betting opportunities, for which Kelly's Criteria is above some specific value, should be displayed, where Kelly's Criteria for backing decisions is defined as:

KCB = EM_B / (Odds_Bnow - l)

And where Kelly's Criteria for laying decisions is defined as:

KC_L = EM_L / (Odds_Lnow - l)

Maximum Laving Odds: A Registered Customer can specify that only betting opportunities, for which the current laying odds (OddsL_now) are below a certain value, should be considered.

Minimum Laying Odds: A Registered Customer can specify that only betting opportunities, for which the current laying odds (Odds_Lnow) are above a certain value, should be considered.

Maximum Backing Odds: A Registered Customer can specify that only betting opportunities, for which the current laying odds (Qddssnow) are below a certain value, should be considered.

Minimum Backing Odds: A Registered Customer can specify that only betting opportunities, for which the current backing odds (Oddsβnow) are above a certain value, should be considered.

Sport: A Registered Customer can specify that only betting opportunities relating to a given type of sport should be considered.

Tournament: A Registered Customer can specify that only betting opportunities relating to a given tournament should be considered. After Registered Customers have entered their desired values in the first section of the sports betting assistance panel, and pressed SEARCH, the Sports Betting Assistance System will generate an assistance list of unique betting options matching these values in the second section of the sports betting assistance panel. This list generated provides information about the date on which a given sporting events takes place, the time at which a given sporting event takes place, the sport in question, the tournament in question, and the sporting event in question. In addition the assistance list contains information about the betting options corresponding to a given sporting event, current odds, average Fair Odds, average Estimated Margin, Kelly's Criteria, and also the name of the bookmaker from where the current odds derive. Said name of bookmaker serves as a hyperlink for the Registered Customer which upon being selected by said Registered Customer, prompts the display of said bookmaker's website at the point relating to the betting opportunity in question. At the bottom of the generated assistance list the system will indicate the time at which the assistance list was generated, and will also provide the Registered Customer with an option to print the assistance list, and an option to have the assistance list e-mailed to the Registered Customer by the system.

Member Remuneration and Rules Thereof: The Sports Betting Assistance System tracks all revenues generated from assisting Registered Customers via auctions and subscription, and break these revenues down according to the level of assistance that generated them. At midnight every day, the system remunerates certain Members for their services, according to the following procedure relating to auction revenues:

1. For all levels of assistance, sum revenues generated from the auction relating to the day just passed.

2. For all levels of assistance, multiply the sum derived in step one by a given percentage. 3. For each AQG, sum all Members whose decisions belong or have belonged to that AQG in the last 24 hours, who have made sports betting decisions in relation to sporting events settled in the last 24 hours, and who have earned a positive profit in the last 24 hours (note that Members will only be paid for their participation in the highest AQG they have belonged to in the last 24 hours).

4. Divide the sum obtained in step two for assistance level 1, by the number obtained in step three for AQG 1. Denote this value Rl. Divide the sum obtained in step two for assistance level 2. Denote this value R2. Do likewise until and including AQG 10.

5. Remunerate all Members whose decision belong or have belonged to AQG 1 in the last 24 hours, who have made sports betting decisions in relation to sporting events settled in the last 24 hours, and who have earned a positive profit in the last 24 hours, by an amount equivalent to Rl. Remunerate all Members whose decisions belong or have belonged to that AQG 2 in the last 24 hours, who have made sports betting decisions in relation to sporting events settled in the last 24 hours, and who have earned a positive profit in the last 24 hours, by an amount equivalent to R2. Do likewise until and including AQG 10.

At midnight every week between Sunday and Monday, the system remunerates certain Members for their services, according to the following procedure related to subscription revenues:

1. For all levels of assistance, sum revenues generated in the previous week via subscription.

2. For all levels of assistance, multiply the sum derived in step one by a given percentage.

3. For each AQG, sum all Members whose decision belong or have belonged to that AQG in the last 168 hours, who have made sports betting decisions in relation to sporting events settled in the last 168 hours, and who have earned a positive profit in the last 168 hours (note that Members will only be paid for their participation in the highest AQG they have belonged to in the last 24 hours).

4. Divide the sum obtained in step two for assistance level 1, by the number obtained in step three for AQG 1. Denote this value Rl. Divide the sum obtained in step two for assistance level 2. Denote this value R2. Do likewise until and including AQG 10. 5. Remunerate all Members whose decisions belong or have belonged to AQG 1 in the last 168 hours, who have made sports betting decisions in relation to sporting events settled in the last 168 hours, and who have earned a positive profit in the last 24 hours, by an amount equivalent to Rl. Remunerate all Members whose decisions belong or have belonged to that AQG 2 in the last 168 hours, who have made sports betting decisions in relation to sporting events settled in the last 168 hours, and who have earned a positive profit in the last 168 hours, by an amount equivalent to R2. Do likewise until and including AQG 10.

The amounts to be remunerated, deriving from auction and subscription revenue, are inserted into the personal bank account of the Member in question, or if the Member in question has one, can alternatively be credited to his or her assistance account.

A further embodiment of the present invention comprises a method of measuring and ranking the sports betting performance of individual sports betters for the purpose of providing sports betting assistance, characterised by a) creating at least one betting account, b) assigning to each said individual sports betters at least one performance metric related to said at least one sports betting account, c) providing said individual sports betters at least one rank based on said at least one performance metric.

A further embodiment of the present invention comprises a method as described above wherein funds are allocated to said at least one betting account as at least one amount.

A further embodiment of the present invention comprises a method as described above wherein said at least one amount comprises legal tender and/or virtual currency.

A further embodiment of the present invention comprises a method as described above wherein said legal tender and/or virtual currency is applied by said individual sports betters to effectuate at least one sports betting decision concerning at least one sporting event via at least one web page. A further embodiment of the present invention comprises a method as described above wherein said legal tender and/or virtual currency allocated as said at least one amount, can only be used to effectuate said at least one sports betting decision in relation to said at least one sporting event settled within at least one given period of time.

A further embodiment of the present invention comprises a method as described above wherein any unused said legal tender and/or virtual currency allocated as said at least one amount either remains in said at least one betting account at the end of said at least one given period of time, or is adjusted in said at least one betting account at the end of said at least one given period of time, or is replaced in said at least one betting account at the end of said at least one given period of time.

A further embodiment of the present invention comprises a method as described above wherein said unused legal tender and/or virtual currency that either remains, is adjusted, or is replaced in said at least one betting account at the end said at least one given period of time, is applied to effectuate said at least one sports betting decision in relation to said at least one sporting event settled within another at least one given period of time.

A further embodiment of the present invention comprises a method as described above wherein said at least one sports betting decision can only be effectuated prior to the beginning of at least one predetermined timeframe

A further embodiment of the present invention comprises a method as described above wherein an effectuated said at least one sports betting decision made by an individual sports better is not communicated to other individual sports betters or to customers, at least until said at least one predetermined timeframe commences. A further embodiment of the present invention comprises a method as described above wherein said at least one predetermined timeframe commences before said at least one sporting event finishes.

A further embodiment of the present invention comprises a method as described above wherein said individual sports betters effectuate said at least one sports betting decision at odds deriving from at least one actual online betting marketplace.

A further embodiment of the present invention comprises a method as described above wherein said odds are reported to said individual sports betters on at least one web page via electronic communication.

A further embodiment of the present invention comprises a method as described above wherein said electronic communication is effected via a communications network that facilitates real-time or near real-time operation.

A further embodiment of the present invention comprises a method as described above wherein information about the outcome of said at least one sporting event is obtained from a third party via a communications network that facilitates real-time or near real-time operation.

A further embodiment of the present invention comprises a method as described above wherein said information about the outcome of said at least one sporting event, and information about said at least one sports betting decision, is used by a at least one computer and/or at least one server to calculate said at least one performance metric.

A further embodiment of the present invention comprises a method as described above wherein said at least one performance metric includes but is not limited to at least one of: a) MASC, b) PR. A further embodiment of the present invention comprises a method as described above wherein said at least one performance metric is displayed in at least one analytical report posted on a website.

A further embodiment of the present invention comprises a method as described above wherein said at least on analytical report concerns the performance of said individual sports betters.

A further embodiment of the present invention comprises a method as described above wherein said at least one analytical report is made available for viewing on at least one of the following bases: a) free, b) paid.

A further embodiment of the present invention comprises a method as described above wherein said at least one rank is a measure of relative standing and/or a measure of absolute standing.

A further embodiment of the present invention comprises a method as described above wherein at least one prize is awarded to some or all said individual sports betters on the basis of said at least one rank.

A further embodiment of the present invention comprises a method as described above wherein information comprising said at least one rank is posted on a website.

A further embodiment of the present invention comprises a method as described above wherein said website includes at least one bulletin board.

A further embodiment of the present invention comprises a method as described above wherein access rights and/or posting rights to said at least one bulletin board are distributed to said individual sports betters according to said at least one rank.

A further embodiment of the present invention comprises a method as described above wherein access to information about said at least one sports betting decision effectuated by said individual sports betters is made available to said customers via at least one web page during said at least one predetermined timeframe.

A further embodiment of the present invention comprises a method as described above wherein said access is differentiated on the basis of said at least one rank and is granted to said customers on at least one of the following bases: a) free basis, b) paid subscriber basis, c) online auction basis.

A further embodiment of the present invention comprises a method as described above wherein said access permits said customers to screen and/or sort and/or list information relating to said at least one betting decision according to at least one criterion via at least one web page.

A further embodiment of the present invention comprises a method as described above wherein said at least one criterion includes but is not limited to: a) said at least one rank, b) said at least one performance metric, c) said odds, d) said individual sports betters, e) Margin, f) Fair Odds, g) Budget Weight, and h) Popularity.

A further embodiment of the present invention comprises a method as described above wherein revenue deriving from said paid subscriber basis and said online auction basis is distributed to some or all said individual sports betters.

A further embodiment of the present invention comprises a method as described above wherein said revenue is distributed on the basis of said at least one rank.

A further embodiment of the present invention comprises a Sports Betting Assistance System substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

A further embodiment of the present invention comprises a method of operating a server configuration to provide a Sports Betting Assistance System substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. A further embodiment of the present invention comprises a computer program substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Industrial applicability:

On the basis of what has been presented it is clear that the present invention has valuable industrial applicability not only for those many millions of online sports betters who are at present plagued by consistent losses, but also for those millions of sports betters in possession of superior knowledge and the ability to earn consistent profits by speculating on the outcomes of sporting events.

Claims

Patent Claims

1. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance, said betting assistance comprising betting recommendations categorized according to their probable reliabilities, comprising the steps of assigning ranks to at least two participants according to their individual betting performances, establishing at least one betting recommendation by obtaining information from at least one of said at least two participants, categorizing each of said at least one betting recommendation according to said rank of said participant from whom said betting recommendation is obtained, and providing at least one of said at least one betting recommendation to at least one customer.

2. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to claim 1, whereby said betting assistance relates to sports betting.

3. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to claim 1 or 2, whereby said method further comprises the step of registering said at least two participants.

4. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 3, whereby said method further comprises the step of monitoring said betting performances of said at least two participants.

5. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 4, whereby said step of monitoring said betting performances of said at least two participants comprises the step of establishing at least one performance metric for each of said at least two participants.

6. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 5, whereby said method further comprises the step of registering said at least one customer.

7. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 6, whereby said method further comprises the step of paying at least one of said at least two participants remuneration.

8. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 7, whereby said method is at least partially carried out and managed by a computer (1).

9. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 8, whereby said computer (1) preferably comprises at least one central processing unit, non- volatile storage means, volatile storage means, input means and output means.

10. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 9, whereby said computer (1) is a server.

11. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 10, whereby said computer (1) is accessible through a computer network by a plurality of client computers (6).

12. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 11, whereby at least a part of said computer network forms part of the Internet (5).

13. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 12, whereby at least one of said client computers (6) is connected to the Internet (5) through an Internet Service Provider (7).

14. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 13, whereby said computer (1) is further connected to a database server (2) comprising storage for data, preferably sports data.

15. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 14, whereby said data, preferably sports data, are received from servers, e.g., related to online sports betting marketplaces (3) and/or news corporations (4).

16. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 15, whereby access to said computer (1) is restricted by security measures.

17. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 16, whereby said client computers (6) comprises PDAs and/or cellular phones.

18. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 17, whereby said computer (1) comprises a web server.

19. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 18, whereby said method further comprises the step of receiving input from said at least two participants by means of said clients computers (6), said network and said computer (1).

20. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 19, whereby said method further comprises the step of providing information to said at least two participants by means of said computer (1), said network and said client computers (6).

21. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 20, whereby said method further comprises the step of receiving input from said at least one customer by means of said clients computers (6), said network and said computer (1).

22. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 21, whereby said method further comprises the step of providing information to said at least one customer by means of said computer (1), said network and said client computers (6).

23. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 22, whereby said step of establishing at least one performance metric for each of said at least two participants comprises the step of evaluating betting decisions made by each of said at least two participants.

24. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 23, whereby said method further comprises the step of providing a set of possible bets to each of said at least two participants.

25. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 24, whereby said step of providing a set of possible bets further comprises the step of assigning odds to said possible bets.

26. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 25, whereby said possible bets may be backing bets and/or laying bets.

27. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 26, whereby said possible bets each relates to at least one time-restricted event, preferably a sporting event, or subset of such an event.

28. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 27, whereby said method further comprises the step of facilitating said at least two participants to make betting decisions by effectuating at least one of said possible bets.

29. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 28, whereby said method further comprises the step of associating at least one betting account with each of said at least two participants.

30. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 29, whereby at least one amount of currency is allocated to each of said at least one betting account.

31. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 30, whereby said at least one amount of currency comprises legal tender and/or virtual currency.

32. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 31, whereby said step of facilitating said at least two participants to make betting decisions regarding at least one of said possible bets further comprises facilitating said at least two participants to apply at least a part of said at least one amount of currency of said associated at least one betting account in order to effectuate said betting decisions.

33. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 32, whereby the amount of currency that can be used for effectuating betting decisions is restricted within a given time period.

34. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 33, whereby any remainders of said at least one amount of currency of said associated at least one betting account is maintained, reset to zero, reset to a default amount or adjusted at the end of said given time period.

35. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 34, whereby said steps of providing a set of possible bets, facilitating said at least two participants to make betting decisions, and/or evaluating betting decisions made by each of said at least two participants are repeated when said given time period ends.

36. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 35, whereby the possibility to effectuate betting decisions is withdrawn at the beginning of a predetermined timeframe.

37. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 36, whereby said effectuated betting decisions are kept confidential at least until said predetermined timeframe commences.

38. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 37, whereby said predetermined timeframe commences before any of said time-restricted events or subsets thereof relating to possible bets to be effectuated prior to said predetermined timeframe finishes.

39. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 38, whereby at least one of said odds assigned to said possible bets is derived from at least one third party, preferably an actual online betting marketplace, preferably via a communications network that facilitates real-time or near real-time operation.

40- Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 39, whereby information about the outcome of said time-restricted events or subsets thereof are obtained from a third party, preferably via a communications network that facilitates real-time or near real-time operation.

41. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 40, whereby said step of evaluating betting decisions made by each of said at least two participants involves comparing said betting decisions with said information about the outcome of said time-restricted events or subsets thereof associated with said possible bets.

42. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 41, whereby said at least one performance metric comprises a Margin Adjusted for Statistical Confidence (MASC).

43. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 42, whereby said at least one performance metric comprises a Fair Odds Margin (FOM).

44. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 43, whereby said at least one performance metric comprises a Polar Rate

(PR).

45. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 44, whereby said at least one performance metric comprises an Advance

On Market metric (AOM).

46. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 45, whereby said performance metrics are established by said computer (1).

47. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 46, whereby said performance metrics are updated repeatedly for each elapsed said given time period.

48. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 47, whereby at least one of said performance metrics established for each of said at least two participants are available, preferably by means of said computer network and said client computers (6), to said participants, respectively.

49. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 48, whereby said step of assigning ranks to at least two participants according to their individual betting performance are based on at least one of said performance metrics.

50. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 49, whereby said step of assigning ranks to at least two participants according to their individual betting performance are based on said Margin Adjusted for Statistical Confidence (MASC) at a predetermined confidence interval.

51. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 50, whereby said method further comprises the step of awarding prizes to participants being top ranked for certain time periods, e.g. 1 week, 4 weeks, 12 weeks, and so on, and/or after a certain number of betting decisions have been made.

52. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 51, whereby said step of categorizing each of said at least one betting recommendation according to said rank of said participant from whom said betting recommendation is obtained comprises arranging said betting recommendations in a plurality of Assistance Quality Groups (AQG).

53. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 52, whereby each of said Assistance Quality Groups (AQG) is associated with an individual percentile group of said participants, where said percentile groups are preferably established on the basis of said participants' rank, MASC, or any other said performance metric, or combination thereof.

54. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 53, whereby said plurality of Assistance Quality Groups (AQG) comprises 11 groups, where the 2.5% most top ranked participants are associated with a first Assistance Quality Group (AQG 1), the next 2.5 percentile points most top ranked participants are associated with a second Assistance Quality Group (AQG 2), the participants ranked in the percentile group from 92.5 to 95 are associated with a third Assistance Quality Group (AQG 3), etc., until the participants ranked in the percentile group from 75 to 77.5 are associated with a tenth Assistance Quality Group (AQG 10) and the participants ranked in the last, largest percentile group from 0 to 75 are associated with an eleventh Assistance Quality Group (AQG 11).

55. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 54, whereby said plurality of Assistance Quality Groups (AQG) preferably comprises 11 groups, where preferably the participants having a Margin Adjusted for Statistical Confidence (MASC) within the highest 2.5 percentile group, i.e. 97.5 to 100, of the overall MASC distribution are associated with a first Assistance Quality Group (AQG 1), the participants having a Margin Adjusted for Statistical Confidence (MASC) within the next-highest 2.5 percentile group, i.e. 95 to 97.5, of the overall MASC distribution are associated with a second Assistance Quality Group (AQG 2), the participants having a Margin Adjusted for Statistical Confidence (MASC) within the percentile group from 92.5 to 95 of the overall MASC distribution are associated with a third Assistance Quality Group (AQG 3), etc., until participants having a Margin Adjusted for Statistical Confidence (MASC) within the percentile group from 75 to 77.5 of the overall MASC distribution are associated with a tenth Assistance Quality Group (AQG 10) and participants having a Margin Adjusted for Statistical Confidence (MASC) within the lowest 75 percentile group, i.e. 0 to 75, of the overall MASC distribution are associated with an eleventh Assistance Quality Group (AQG 11).

56. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 55, whereby said information obtained from at least one of said at least two participants comprises information on said betting decisions made by the respective participant.

57. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 56, whereby said information obtained from at least one of said at least two participants comprises information on the estimated Fair Odds regarding said betting decisions, estimated by the respective participant.

58. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 57, whereby said step of providing at least one of said at least one betting recommendation to said at least one customer comprises application of said computer network and said client computers (6).

59. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 58, whereby said at least one betting recommendation is provided to said at least one customer as a product available for purchase.

60. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 59, whereby said method further comprises the step of differentiating the charge for access to betting recommendations categorized as belonging to different Assistance Quality Groups, preferably such that high-quality betting recommendations becomes more expensive than low-quality betting recommendations.

61. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 60, whereby said method further comprises the step of providing said betting recommendations on a paid subscriber basis.

62. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 61, whereby said paid subscriber basis preferably involves a choice of Assistance Quality Group and preferably a choice of subscription period.

63. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 62, whereby said method further comprises the step of providing said betting recommendations on an online auction basis.

64. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 63, whereby said online auction basis preferably involves a choice of Assistance Quality Group.

65. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 64, whereby said online auction basis preferably involves a limitation on the number of customers that may purchase access to a certain Assistance Quality Group within a certain time period.

66. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 65, whereby the betting recommendations to which a customer has obtained access may comprise betting decisions made by participants and preferably together with a subset of the following parameters: betting types, dates, Margins Adjusted for Statistical Confidence (MASC), Estimated Margins (EM), Budget Weights, Popularity, Kelly's Criteria (KC), Laying and Backing Odds, Types of sport or event, associated Tournaments, etc.

67. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 66, whereby said betting recommendations to which a customer has obtained access may be screened, searched, sorted and/or listed by said customer, preferably according to at least one of said parameters.

68. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 67, whereby said Kelly's Criteria (KC) is established at least partly on the basis of said estimated Fair Odds obtained by said step of obtaining information from at least one of said at least two participants.

69. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 68, whereby said betting recommendations to which a customer has obtained access may comprise performance metrics associated with the participants from which said betting recommendations has been obtained.

70. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 69, whereby said providing betting assistance further comprises providing actual betting opportunities matching said betting recommendations to which said customer has obtained access and optionally further limited by means of said screening, searching, sorting and/or listing.

71. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 70, whereby said providing actual betting opportunities comprises providing hyperlink to bookmakers' websites where said betting options may be effectuated.

72. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 71, whereby said registering said at least two participants involves a payment from or to said at least two participants.

73. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 72, whereby said registering said at least one customer involves a payment from said at least one customer.

74. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 73, whereby said step of paying at least one of said at least two participants remuneration comprises paying at least a part of revenues generated from said at least one customer to at least one of said at least two participants.

75. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 74, whereby the amounts of said remunerations are based on said ranking of said participants and/or said categorization of participants' betting recommendations in Assistance Quality Groups (AQG).

76. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 75, whereby said step of paying at least one of said at least two participants remunerations comprises the step of for each Assistance Quality Group (AQG) remunerating each participant associated with said Assistance Quality Group (AQG) who have earned a positive profit within a preceding predetermined time frame by an amount of the revenues generated from said customers calculated by dividing the total revenue generated for said Assistance Quality Group (AQG) within said preceding predetermined time frame with the number of participants associated with said Assistance Quality Group (AQG) who have earned a positive profit within said preceding predetermined time frame and further multiplying the calculated amount by a predetermined remuneration percentage.

77. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 76, whereby said participants are only remunerated according to the highest ranking and/or the best Assistance Quality Group (AQG) with which they have been associated within said preceding predetermined time frame.

78. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 77, whereby said step of paying at least one of said at least two participants remuneration is repeated at a time interval corresponding to said preceding predetermined time frame.

79. Method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 78, whereby said preceding predetermined time frame is related to the purchase option at which betting assistance is provided to said at least one customer.

80. Betting assistance system for establishing and providing betting assistance, comprising at least two participants and at least one customer, and further comprising means for communicating with said at least two participants and said at least one customer, means for obtaining betting recommendations from at least one of said at least two participants, means for establishing performance metrics for said at least two participants one the basis of previous said betting recommendations obtained from said participants and actual outcomes of associated events, means for ranking said at least two participants according to said performance metrics, means for categorizing said betting recommendations according to said performance metrics of said participants from which said betting recommendations are obtained, means for providing a subset of said categorized betting recommendations to said at least one customer on a paid subscriber basis and/or an online auction basis, means for generating revenue from said customer, and means for remunerating at least one of said at least two participants by at least a part of said revenue.

81. Betting assistance system comprising means for carrying out a method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 79.

82. Computer program comprising computer instructions for carrying out a method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 79, when said computer program is executed by a computer.

83. Computer program according to claim 82, wherein said computer program is stored on computer readable media.

84. Computer program according to claim 82 or 83, wherein said computer program comprises a web application.

85. Computer program product comprising computer readable media on which computer instructions for carrying out a method of establishing and providing betting assistance according to any of the claims 1 - 79 when executed by a computer, are stored.