It's not the case of paying for the beta. It's a pre-order bonus. It's up to users whether they choose to download the beta pre-release or wait until the official release in September.
As for understanding what a beta is, I really don't think the OOTP guys could have done any more. The only way to download, or indeed pre-order, the game is via this forum. At the top of the forum there is a sticky entitled "The Beta: What to Expect" which explains exactly what is functioning at this stage and emphasising that it's not a finished product. As I understand it, the OOTP guys are neither marketing the game nor mentioning it on their home page at this stage - presumably because of how unfinished it is. Furthermore, Jeff has posted in virtually all of these sorts of threads re-emphasising and explaining the game's development stage.
I think it's just the case of users being excited to finally see a hockey sim (as we all are!) - and getting carried away about what to expect at this stage. If the game were in this state come release day, then fair enough. But at this stage, I personally think everybody's energy is best aimed at reporting bugs and posting suggestions.
