It is also to do with what information that is available and to whom, when you look at what information and data is available to people in the states you realise that we are kept very much in the dark. just one example would be this type of thing https://services.autex.com/common/main.jsp
trading platforms come into play as well, again have a look at what the rest of the world uses or has on offer and then compair it to what is on offer here. Iress just wouldn't get in the door over seas just doesn't cut it. I'm ready to be corrected here but as far as i know Australia and Canada are the only countries that use it.
most brokers and banks oversea run some form of free software that will outstrip whats on offer here ten fold
once you start getting into what the end user has to trade with and what the brokers have to trade with it would open your eyes to weather we have a fair playing field !
also with the new order that the ASX has recently brought in this would protect the bot trading to some extent
my only hope is with the new exchange company touted to start in October we see less of a monopoly and more disclosure not less