Sport is made for betting

Belgian court tells French Tennis Federation to move into the 21st century and accept the fact that 99.9% of gambling is perfectly legitimate. In what has to go down as one of the most ridiculous court cases in modern times, a Belgian court has thrown out the FTF's claims that betting was bringing down the reputation of tennis, and in particular, the French Open. The FTF had sought to ban Betfair, Bwin and Ladbrokes from betting on this year's tournament. Shame the FTF couldn't work out that having players such as Sesil Karatantcheva and Mariano Puerta fail dope tests, and having the ignorant local crowd jeer most players who aren't French does a lot more damage to the tournament's reputation that a recreational pastime that makes claycourt tennis a lot more exciting for a very significant portion of the viewing audience. Read the Guardian article here .

Three Premier League teams today threw away 2-0 leads.... Man City, 2-0 up v Fulham, matched for plenty at 1.05 or shorter (low of 1.02) and lost 3-2. Birmingham led Liverpool 2-0, matched at 1.09 and drew 2-2. West Ham led Newcastle 2-0 early on, matched at 1.13 and drew 2-2. Never be afraid to lay a short price when a team is ahead - you're not risking much and the potential reward is great!

Some sports want to bury their head in the sand when it comes to betting but forward-thinking Indian cricket officials are keen to legalise sports betting in an effort clean up the game and get rid of match-fixing. Cricinfo article This is potentially bigger than legalising sports wagering in the USA. Sure there are plenty of poor people in India, but there are plenty of people with wealth as well. And they bet on cricket whether it is legal or not. The Indian Premier League is only going to increase that - it's India's version of the NBA or NFL - the razzle-dazzle, cheerleaders and the media hype. The locals can't get enough of it. Good to see Betfair in there (who have an information-sharing agreement with the ICC and Cricket Australia) as well as Ladbrokes.

Sydney's big raceday was rather wet, a heavy track made it less of a spectacle and harder to find a winner as everyone was concerned if the rail was off or whether there was a bias to backmarkers. But it didn't really matter as class prevailed in the two big races. Sebring, one of the favourites, went into the race undefeated and came out with his record in tact. Settling slightly further back than expected in the field, he accelerated well when it really mattered and won narrowly from VRC Sires' Produce winner Von Costa de Hero who stormed down the outside. Portillo was the first filly home, finishing a gallant third. A reversal of second and third would have landed me a very substantial trifecta, but c'est la vie. The best part about this colt is he is owned by a public syndicate who are rejecting multi-million dollar offers from the big studs. The joy of racing is what it's all about, not locking him in for a stud career at the first sign of losing form. Bravo to...

This could be a fantastic tournament. For cricket to become truly international, this concept needs to work. It will be action packed and televised all over the world. The timing of the games should suit most markets around the globe. The betting will be amazing, watch for crazy swings on Betfair. Series link - IPL website

Excellent article by Australian industry commentator Bill Saunders. Two More Bricks In Betfair's Wall Interstate TABs, huge opponents to Betfair, are now under the pump as the renegade/enterprising state of Tasmania stole their thunder.

Well maybe not, this is a massive blow to their businesses. Herald Sun article - the pokies duopoly is to be broken up But the Australian Stock Exchange has halted trading on these firms in the meantime. Tabcorp, Tatts in trading halt This has the potential to be a fantastic decision for the people of Victoria. Take the evil machines out of the greedy corporations running the show, and into the hands of smaller venues and the local communities. Then they can make the individual decision of whether they bring benefit or ruin to their patrons. Still would prefer to see them banished forever, but that's not a realistic proposition. Hopefully a few hotels will see the light like this modern-day hero .

This is the day every serious punter hates. Everyone they know who doesn't have a clue about betting wants a tip. Get real, it's a four and a half mile race with 40 horses and 30 fences. Anything can bloody happen! It's the hardest race of the year, it's bizarre it's the race where everyone wants to have a bet. You'd do just as well to throw a pin at the formguide, but here's my first four in the big race: Slim Pickings Snowy Morning King Johns Castle Turko Click on the link on the RHS for a free bet with a new Betfair account!

This case has been brewing a while, and it surprises me that TAB Ltd (now part of TABCorp) hasn't been taken to task on it. A NSW lawyer lost millions of other people's money and was given credit by a government agency. Yes, he is responsible for his own actions but the government shouldn't have been a party to encouraging him. Their addiction to gambling taxes is bigger than any individual punter. Click here for the article.

Quality racing today - Inglis Drever, Kauto Star, Celestial Halo, Franchoek. Scan the market for the best prices and best offers. Jeremy Gask, former shrewd Australian trainer, has his first major festival runner in Desert Quest in the 16.20. Worth a bet at around 16/1.