I've read these comments with interest and nobody­ seems to have mentioned the each-way bet where a place­ gets you a fraction of the odds. Lets say the bookie­ pays a quarter of the odds for a place (1st, 2nd, 3rd­ or 4th). An 11/5 bet will become 2.2 + 1 for a­ straightforward win bet = 3.2. But a place bet­ doesn't get a quarter of 3.2, the place bet has to­ be calculated as (2.2 x 0.25) + 1 which comes out as­ 1.55.
If the young gamblers of today struggle with­ fractions then I can't see this new system helping­ very much. I hope they don't do too many each - way­ yankees!

idiots... 6-4 is 1.5 not 2.5

Sorry & 600pence ( p ) not six pound

Julie what is one pound, i thought you were going­ decimal 100pence ( P ) do you meen.

Youngters would rather spend it on DRUGS & BOOZE­ & getting BAILED OUT.

As my old dad used to say "if it's not broken­ don't fix it"

they're just trying to get more working class­ people to gamble so they can get rich while we lose our­ money.

The sporting life reports the trial was a failure.­ Perhaps the punters saw through "con" as, in­ my experience, decimal odds pay less because they are­ rounded down. 13/8 (1.625/1 = 2.625) would be­ decimalised to 2.6 The difference of 0.025 may not be a­ lot of difference for the £1 punter but for the­ regulars & bigger money punters that difference can­ add up to a terrific amount over time. I doubt that­ other fractions (eg 11/8 = 2.375) are rounded up­ (2.4).

As like decimalistion in 1971, the­ "punters" would be the ones to lose­ out.

Whilst there is a choice, it is likely that the­ fractional odds will be better value.

I agree with number 17 I presume fractions are still­ part of the maths curriculum and if there is any­ difficulty in understanding the odds they should not be­ betting.

the youngsters dont care all there money goes on­ roulette,they want educateing you cant win on them ,get­ them out of shops that will be better for horse racing

Yet again it will end up costing the punter as 20-1­ won't be available and for ease the bookies will do­ 20.00 deducting a point. To be honest if you can't­ do the sums - you should not be gambling! I am all for­ change, but this is to make the bookies lives easier as­ betfair is in decimals! It is a great way to learn­ fractions and over-round!

Its a rich persons game, for us regular folk its the­ road to ruin!! I grew up without a clue about­ gambling, and i like it that way. They should kill it­ off once it looses popularity with younger people.

Oh come on, get real, the system of betting is as old a­ the sport itself, how hard is it to work out what a 5-1­ bet would return? People who cant figure out the­ betting odds as they are now probably need instructions­ on how to get out of bed every morning. If the kids­ today have'nt got the brains to adapt then we are­ in trouble.

From a recovering compulsive gambler - This is­ ridiculous why are we trying to get horse racing to a­ younger audience by simplifying the maths involved ?­ Its only because of the massive revenue the government­ receive from the gambling industry who have no concern­ for the thousands of lives that are ruined by gambling­ !

Don't they mean an audience under 11, I spent the­ last few years of primary school being told fractions­ were bad, then GCSE up being told decimals were.

i work with bruce betting, most people struggle with­ odds like 12/5 , 11/5 etc , the usual qs is which odds­ are better ??? so what hope have punters got of making­ up 2.75 3.75 etc...

Hi i'm sorry but i thought the allied side won the­ war if so why are we doing everything that europe tells­ us what to do,,, why cant they make some changes,, at­ this rate why did we bother with the war we should have­ just put our hands up like the italians and french­ did,,,,

Why can't things just be left alone??

I think this will be the end of the eighth fractions ie­ 15/8. If it remains, it will appear as 2.875 which I am­ sure even to youngsters is confusing. I am sure all the­ disappearing fractions ie 11/8, 13/8, 15/8, 21/20,­ 85/40 will disappear in favour of the layers rather­ than the punters. Long gone are the days when a course­ layer would go 100 pounds to 3 on a 33/1 shot.­ Don't forget 100/6, 100/7, 100/8 which were­ replaced with 16/1, 14/1 and 12/1. All at a loss to the­ punter.

In Reply to number 17. You can't have decimals and­ fractions running side by side at the race track­ because decimals are more streamlined therefore quicker­ and fractions would find it hard to get over the­ frences! Also improper fractions probeble would not be­ allowed in