FWIW,
I have a "bot-user" friend who was HIGHLY successful getting frozen trips once they thawed as well as other generally high demand trips using his secret program.
He wouldn't spill the beans to minimize competition.
I asked him if the anti-bot number entry had cramped his style. He gave me a grin and said there's always work-arounds. His schedule doesn't seem to be suffering, so I'd say bots are still a player.