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betting industry news roundup

Sportingbet Australia are banking on a change to betting in-running laws with this move to develop an IPTV betting platform. Racing provides the lion's share of their business but the big potential for growth is with sports betting. However due to a ludicrous piece of legislation, which is unlikely to be amended during the term of a minority government, you can only bet in-running on a sporting event via a voice call from within Australia.

The Queensland govt needs more tax revenue so the easiest way to do that is put more pokies in the casinos. Evil bloody things that should be outlawed but they never will. The politicians hide behind the fact that it's no more for the state, but the fact is these ones will see far higher footfall than hidden away in a suburban pub, equalling more tax revenue and more damage to the moral fabric of Qld society. At least WA continues to resist the urge.

The bidding for the UK Tote hots up with a consortium fronted by Martin Broughton lining up a bid, to add to the list of BetFred, Sportech and consortiums led by major racing owner Andy Stewart, and another by former Ladbrokes chief Chris Bell. One thing that confuses me about all of this - racing is putting their hand out for a huge chunk of the sale, yet does very little to promote the Tote. Simple changes to a few rules (deadlines for withdrawing horses, consistency in stewards' rulings, encouraging bigger fields, forcing to all jockeys to ride out to the line when prizemoney - i.e. for placings - is involved) would make tote punting far more attractive especially for single race exotics which are the bread & butter of totalisators around the world.

Speaking of totes, it's down to only Tabcorp and Tattersall's for the 2012 Victorian wagering licence renewal, which gives them the exclusive tote pool licence in the state and a monopoly on off-course betting shops. Ladbrokes and a few others were interested in it, but realistically, it was never going to go to a foreign company.
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