Rakes surpress level

Technology of the 20th century brought about a leap in quality of backgammon too. Hundreds of players today play stronger than world champions of the 1980s.
Bots and online servers made it possible to record and analyze every move and game. Bots alone brought about changes in opening and middlegame strategies.
Online servers eliminated distances, hotel costs, reduced organizational costs.
Many talanted young players with a thin wallet could play or watch world class players online.

See this and think

http://www.stocks49.freeserve.co.uk/CHARTS/FIBSwrc.html

Recent rake hikes of Truemoneygames and similar increase of registration fees, table fees, etc. may bring an opposite trend. In order to beat the table fees, players will (as already have on Gamesgrid) try different means to pick a player at least 200 rating points below. Some will "vote with their feet" as Hank Yongerman did.

In a market environment the most efficient way to fight high prices is to sustain a viable competition. What this translates to is that contemporary supply of backgamon action services is insufficient. We need more tournament/cafe organizers in our home town, more online servers.