To create a BeLuckyTote bet

In order for the system to work, each newly invented bet must be validated to make sure it makes sense and that the outcomes are reasonable.

You can help yourself here by ensuring

your bet has some probable outcomes (up to 16 are available to you).
you have a reasonable method of validating the bet results - imagine you are the one placing money on the bet - what would you like to see as a good validation proof?

Getting the 'close of bet' and 'close of event' times right

When you create a new bet, pay close attention to the 'close of bet' and the 'close of event' times;

If you are proposing a bet that has a short event time (like a football match or fishing trip results), you should select a date and time for 'close of bet' at least six hours before the event starts. You should select the time and date for 'close of event' such that you are sure the event will have finished. Remember, you will need to supply the results within 24 hours of the 'close of event'. See diagram1.

Timeline with no buffer
Diagram1. Timeline for bets with short events

If you are proposing a bet that has a longer event time (like a TV knockout show, e.g. Big Brother or results of a diet), you should select a date and time for the 'close of bet' BEFORE the competition starts. See diagram2.

Some bets have an outcome that is increasingly predictable as the event draws closer (such as a bet on the weather). These bets should be treated as a bet with a long event time - you should select a date and time for the 'close of bet' a good time before the event starts. For weather type bets, we recommend the 'close of bet' to be at least 10 days before the event. See diagram2.

Timeline with buffer
Diagram2. Timeline for bets with long events or increasingly predictable outcomes

Once you have submitted your bet, we will send you a confirmation email. The bet is now in its innitial validation stage where we check that no glaring mistakes have been made. We will email you again with the results of the innitial validation (pass or fail). If the bet passes, it will be published to the site and you are free to start promoting your bet.

Promoting your BeLuckyTote bet

On blogs and forums and social media sites
This is how you can really reach out with your bet. Think of where the people interested in your bet might 'hang out'. i.e. if you have made a golfing bet, post the bet on golfing forums. If the bet is of most interest to just your mates, use your regular social media site. If your bet is of wide and general interest, use as many forums as you can, as well as twitter , facebook and your own email lists.
There are tons of newsgroups and message boards where you can post. You can ask people what they think about BeLuckyTote and if they are interested in having a bet, but let them make the first move and show their interest.

If you fill in all the boxes with care when you first create your bet, then the resulting BeLuckyTote betting banner will direct your users to a bet that looks cool and professional. This helps immensely when you come to share your bet outside of the BeLuckyTote site.

IRC, ICQ or MSN Messenger
Just as with email you can use these new web based communication forms to find like minded people and spread the word about your BeLuckyTote bets.

On the BeLuckyTote website
To help other BeLuckyTote.com site users to find your bet, do pay attention to the title, short and long descriptions. These are what other users will use to find your bet.

Use a Web Site
Are you or do you personally know any webmaster? Explain how he could put your BeluckyTote banner on his website. to add more fun for his users. This way both of you would gain from the high traffic of the friend's website. Or write an article for a webzine and include your url.

By email
Email is a great way to promote your bet. Use our email code to link directly to your bet and dont forget to add a personal message so your recipients know you are for real! You can send out emails individually, or you can send to your whole address book at once.
If you have a few created bets, why not email a link to your profile page? Your profile page lists all your created bets. Simply cut and paste your profile's address from the address bar in your browser.

Use email signatures
Email signatures work very effective. They are the letterhead of your email message including typically 5 -10 lines of contact information, and are appended automatically to the end (or sometimes at the top) of each message you send. Check your email software for this feature.

Add a BeLuckyTote banner to your signature in Outlook Express

To insert an image in a signature, Outlook Express needs to use HTML for composing email messages.
Launch your favorite editor (notepad will do) and create a new file called "signature.html". In this file, type nothing more than the following line of HTML code: "C:\My Images\" is the folder where you have saved the banner before.
Save the file "signature.html" and launch Outlook Express. Go to: "Tools | Options..." and then the signatures tab. Create the new signature.
To see if setting up the signature has worked, create a new message and select: "Insert | Signature" from the menu.

Family and Friends
Are you enthusiastic about BeLuckyTote? Mention it to family, friends and people who surf on a regular basis.

Put your URL everywhere
Put your profile url on your business card or make flyers with your URL to give them away every time you need. Are there any local Internet cafes? Talk to the shop owner. He could potentially promote BeLuckyTote on your behalf.

If you have any further questions, just mail us.

Be Lucky!