What would you be doing if betting exchanges didn't exist?

[xitian]

Sort of following on from a comment I made on another post about at what point Betfair becomes not worth it because of PC, etc...

What do you guys (mostly full-timers I guess) think you would be doing if betting exchanges never existed?

I imagine I'd probably still have an office job and hating it, but probably fairly high up on the corporate ladder. Or alternatively I'd like to think I would have started my own business doing something else.

I've tried many things in the past from writing casual online games (back in 2005 before casual gaming exploded!), to being a home computer support bod, to trying to replicate crazy one-off things like the milliondollarhomepage. Then Betfair became my first proper success. Who knows what I'd be doing now if that didn't happen though!

I even created software for Augmented Reality processing when I was at uni! 13 years later it looks like Microsoft are finally going to give it a good stab!

An answer to this post from Peter W would be most interesting to hear!

[Alpha322]

If you havnt any other interest from Betfair exchanges then am afraid your in trouble. I treat the exchange as a second income, i see my level as semi pro, as my main income is my decently paid enjoyable job which is shift work so lots of time to trade. My other interests is Salsa dancing, Radio broadcasting, Radio Ham, and taking my kids out to exciteing things. I like eating out at reasturants with friends, i dont drink alcohol or smoke, My hat off to full timmers they have to make it work. Its a nice balance i enjoy sports trading but am only on it when i feel too, or when i look at a few markets and i spot oppotunitys.

[andrejt]

Well, I'm not a semi-pro nor a pro, but I would probably choose the IT road again or do something connected to our local downhill bikepark

I hope something doesn't happen to the exchanges in the near feature, because I really like the freedom that comes with trading.

[Zapata]

Are you guys being paid by Betfair?

[Naffman]

I think its always better to have another skill to fall back on, but as long as you have a bit of money behind you, it will give you time to look for another job/or go to uni/college. I have friends who have been in uni now for 2 yrs and still don't know what they want to do, and if I had to pick now I wouldn't have a clue either. So instead of pissing about and wasting time doing what I don't want to do at uni (as well as getting into serious debt), I'm enjoying trading and making money. So back to your original question, what would I be doing if betting exchanges didn't exist? - I'd probably be pissing about learning how Shakespeare used a metaphor

[Euler]

An answer to this post from Peter W would be most interesting to hear!

When I was young my game plan was always to work for myself. When I was was working for an internet server provider in the mid 90's I saw the birth of online trading and was immediately hooked, so that's pretty much where I thought I would end up. That was until Betfair came along and diverted my attention. Else I'd still be on financial markets.

In the early days I was on contract with a financial magazine and wrote for them for three years before deciding not to renew so I could focus on Betfair.

Since then I have invested the proceeds from Betfair at every opportunity, so if I stopped now I would just pick up the investing full time and probably travel a lot.

[burdo77]

Working, the same as now!

[Wainwright]

When I was a lad I dreamed of becoming an astronaut - sometimes I wonder if that might have been easier than making money from trading.

Although having said that, the Right Stuff for trading is really just a PC, a decent office chair & a suitable attitude, so maybe not.

Also, I'm not sure I could cope with the high G-forces involved in space travel anymore.

[CaerMyrddin]

As a civil engineer, I'd probably be complaining about the heat at some African country! Many friends of mine are