August 2019 ADW roundup: Who do you like?

[Aerocraft67]

What's the latest wisdom on best ADWs?

I have Twinspires, NYRABets, and DRFBets. I primarily play the NYRA and Mid-Atlantic circuits, mainly Laurel. Plus big races elsewhere. I avoid western circuits just to keep my awareness manageable.

Twinspires

• Best feature: sortable tote, automatically updated. I'll keep an account here just for that.
• Other features: built in BRIS handicapping metrics. Free BRIS pps with wager. Occasional bet promos.
• Downside: many reported problems. Are they cleared up? I don't otherwise notice much lacking in coverage. The video of NYRA is more reliable than via NYRA; a black eye for that one.

NYRABets

• Best feature: integration with NYRA content, particularly Talking Horses analysis broken out per race. But there are bad issues here.
• Other features: I guess 40 basis points rebate on NYRA tracks is about the best rebate going for mere mortals. Seems hardly worth administering, though.
• Downside: Despite tight video integration, the live race video is useless. You have to click a bunch of times to get it playing, creating more delay, the most of any of these ADWs. Then, without fail, it hangs right around post time and stays hung up until after the race. Infuriating. Shameful that I need another ADW to watch NYRA races in real time! (I have gigabit internet and a new computer and my neighbors don't play so unlikely a problem on my end)

DRFBets

• Best feature: Seems to have the most reliable video of these three
• Other features: Basically a rebranded Xpressbet, so it's a competent platform. Ticketmaker is handy, moreso for horizontal play. Occasional bet promos. Integration with DRF content, but...
• Downside: Cut back access to DRF content dramatically last month. Now requires $500 monthly handle to grant DRF Plus access. Was any wager per month. I opened the account when it had free TFUS pps with a wager on the card; that's long gone. I'm mothballing this one until a compelling reason comes along to return.

Common features

• These all have comprehensive track coverage even though they're beholden to their owners' tracks. They also have good recordkeeping. I mainly need a clean export, but Twinspires and NYRABets have good snapshots of ROI. I haven't used DRFBets much for that.
• Rewards programs are useless. To play at a level where they become substantial suggests you should be playing where you get a proper rebate regime rather than points program.

Alternatives

• Xpressbet has been kicking around as long as any and should work tight with Stronach tracks like Laurel. Seems pretty bare bones though. The DRF version might be the better option, despite the recent setback in value there.
• I'm intrigued by Amwager, but seems like a very small shop with some gaps in coverage
• BetPTC is another I've revisited a few times, but not available to me in Maryland last I checked, and has limited track coverage
• I had TVG when it had free TFUS pps, but that ended when DRF took on TFUS. Also seems more West Coast oriented.

For now its Twinspires and NYRABets for me. Twinspires has the most compelling feature set and overall competence (despite the recent problems—anyone having any now?), and I play NYRA enough to use the in-house platform.

Who do you like?

[biggestal99]

Originally Posted by Aerocraft67

Who do you like?

TVG since I live in Jersey. and they have the monopoly.


1. Videos are decent. and play. thats good.


2. decent promos (I like the 25 free bet promo with the exchange, also the money back for second and third. and the cash keeper is a nice innovation)


3. video replays of previous races.


4. rebate program is nil. black mark there.


Allan

[Gorrex]

The only content AmWager is missing is Churchill Downs controlled content.

We have routinely engaged them to provide it and they will not even at increased rates. Tracks sign with them due to negotiating power but end up getting less revenue once all things are considered.

Raw deal for everyone (Us, horseman, regulators, tracks, bettors) except CDI.

[Gorrex]

One interesting thing..

You note video on ADWs a few times.

ALL ADWs get exactly the same video from exactly the same provider (RCN). There is no other option. Generally that means any video problems are shared across all outlets as its a single point of failure.

The only difference is some tracks do not allow competing ADWs access to their HD streams.

[Aerocraft67]

Originally Posted by Gorrex

ALL ADWs get exactly the same video from exactly the same provider (RCN). There is no other option. Generally that means any video problems are shared across all outlets as its a single point of failure.

The only difference is some tracks do not allow competing ADWs access to their HD streams.

I defer to your knowledge here, but there must be a difference in how ADWs distribute the RCN feed to customers, even though they're all receiving the same feed. Single point of failure upstream ADW to RCN, but different methods downstream ADW to customer.

NYRA's feed absolutely hangs like I described, and the others don't (well, not nearly as much). I've even tried to use the SD vs. HD feed to see if that helps, cumbersome as that is (I need to do more trials of that). And it still lacks instant start. Others are SD by default but much more responsive and reliable.

[Gorrex]

The actual stream is provided directly from RCN to the consumer and is not handled by the ADW. Which stream is chosen, its size, maximum bandwidth(resolution) and a few settings can be tweaked by the requestor (ADW).

Instant start (autoplay) is a setting.

RCN has also been moving over to a new streaming method. There are currently three options:

Flash -> Old way.. should no longer be used by anyone by now and will not be available by the end of the year. - Has 5-10 second delay.

HLS -> Mainly for mobile but can be forced to be used on desktop. - Has 15-30 second delay.

H2Live -> Their new method and should be the standard for everyone on all devices going forward. - Has 3-5 second delay.


AmWager main UI currently uses H2Live on desktop and HLS on mobile. We are migrating to use H2Live on all devices.

Our new UI uses H2Live on all devices already.

[toddbowker]

Originally Posted by Aerocraft67

BetPTC is another I've revisited a few times, but not available to me in Maryland last I checked, and has limited track coverage

You are correct regarding Maryland. We are not licensed there. We do have all the content though, so "limited track coverage" is incorrect.

[Aerocraft67]

Originally Posted by toddbowker

You are correct regarding Maryland. We are not licensed there. We do have all the content though, so "limited track coverage" is incorrect.

Sorry for the mistake, I commingled limited state licensing with track coverage.

[green80]

I like Amwager but they don't have some of the tracks I like to play. I then go to BetPTC. If several ADW's have the track I'm playing I play at the one that has the highest rebate.

[FocusWiz]

I rely on some of the more unique features of AmWager like their "dutching" and conditional wagering (especially if you want to upload files, and YES their conditional wagering does work with uploads), but when not used these in a while, they are easy to forget. One of the features they have is their graph of the Win Odds over time prior to the race. Not somethiing you want to rely on, but you can see if someone/something is dumping money onto a horse at intervals which could indicate that there will be a significant shift in the odds near the end of the wagering. This is also included in their replay/result feature which offers a lot more than some of their competitors in terms of depth and breadth of coverage. The one thing I dislike is that they eliminate the program information once the race is final. If I want to get the name of the jockey on the 5 horse or what the morning line was, I have to use another tool (yes, both of these are available in their replay function [generally the former only for the top four finishers], but that is not available immediately after the race).

I am most likely to use TwinSpires for races that are unavailable in AmWager, but generally prefer the more concise layouts of AmWager and XpressBet, so I tend to reduce the size of the browser window when using TwinSpires.

[Gorrex]

Thanks,

We've had program inform on results as a backlog item for a while now. Looks like I need to move it up the chain.

[FocusWiz]

Originally Posted by Gorrex

We've had program inform on results as a backlog item for a while now. Looks like I need to move it up the chain.

I was the one who called asking for it years ago, so please don't take the mention of it in another venue as some kind of mass rallying cry for this feature.

[Gorrex]

Gotcha.. still I'll look at it again to see where I can fit it in.

[cj]

Originally Posted by toddbowker

You are correct regarding Maryland. We are not licensed there. We do have all the content though, so "limited track coverage" is incorrect.

Was literally just going to add this, BetPTC has all the tracks.

[Parkview_Pirate]

I moved within the same state earlier this month, and was thwarted from updating my address online at Xpressbet. And while having my account locked was a minor problem, the second challenge question to verify my identity when I called in was a bit insane - verifying my zip code from when I lived in South Dakota, 20 years and 13 moves ago.

Shudda taken better notes when I moved. I still can't believe that.

Called back the next day after I cooled off a bit, and after 17 years with the Big X, closed out my account.