Lines Managers vs Automated Lines

30 years ago the lines manager was one of the more important person in a sports betting outfit as the decisions of the lines manager and the fast response of his team were key in whether a sportsbook would make money or not.

Top lines manager would easily break the 6 digit numbers in terms of salaries along with a nice hefty bonus at the end of the NFL football season.

Today, technology has become so advance that players are using sports software and programs to give them an edge in their betting choices.  One of the biggest craze being arbitrage software which enable players to bet on both sides of a game using different bookmakers.

This is of course frowned upon by the wagering industry but what can they do...

This has led to a lot of refinement in the way sportsbooks are taking care of their lines which has led to a new rise in sports betting software technology called automated lines.

These automated software basically go around the internet looking at lines from other bookmakers and making sports lines movement decisions on their own.  The algorithm for some of these programs are very complex and can often give the sportsbook a higher hold.

Does this mean that these automated odds program are the end of the lines managers?  Some bookies seem to think so but I have to disagree as it may work for a small or start-up sports betting operation but medium to large size sportsbook need them as making lines changes is not just about numbers but also about instincts.

Every book has different types of players and bookies know how to handle their big clients.

In the end, I believe that sports betting lines managers are safe for the moment and if they are able to combine their skills with automated lines programs,, smart books are bound to increase their hold by as much as 0.05%.