Sport is made for betting

Interesting article here from the Sydney Morning Herald, illustrating the different betting characteristics on racing by state, and on particular sports. This highlights why betting sites need to know their punters and customise their product accordingly. The live betting figures are interesting - I'd have to see figures on how many games are shown live in each code to make a fair comparison. Australian terrestrial TV networks love showing matches on 30min delay so they can squeeze in as many ads as they can. From next year in the AFL at least, all games will be shown live, even in the home city. And about bloody time too! Brash gamblers still think inside the box .. Nicholas Tzaferis, general manager of Tabcorp's corporate affairs, says, "In terms of race betting, NSW punters have a clear preference for win betting, which accounts for more than half of all money wagered on NSW racing. In Victoria, win betting accounts for 42 per cent of turnover." Multiple be...

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 lin...

Australia's biggest betting company, the once government-owned and still heavily protected by said powers, Tabcorp, are pushing out the tripe to rub Betfair and corporate bookmaker's noses in it after the Racing NSW v Betfair court ruling yesterday. How about this piece of tripe from Sydney's biggest daily paper, masquerading as Tabcorp's weekly newsletter, the Daily Telegraph. Racing bet case bonanza for NRL The NRL could receive a $17 million a year windfall - or $1 million-plus per club -following a landmark court ruling on Wednesday in favour of Racing NSW. Racing NSW had their right upheld in the Federal Court to charge all betting agencies and corporate bookmakers 1.5 per cent of their turnover as the price for allowing them to bet on their product. The decision has given the NSW racing industry an instant $120 million payday from money already collected but so far held in a trust account. It will also earn the body $50 million a year in future revenues. ...

Must admit this one caught me by surprise. Initially Betfair had won the case alleging Racing NSW had discriminated against them and in favour of their bed partners Tabcorp in charging a 1.5% turnover fee for the use and publication of NSW race fields. Racing NSW appealed the verdict and were today awarded an unanimous verdict in their favour, despite clear evidence that Racing NSW do everything possible in their power to support Tabcorp. Racing NSW wins Federal Court decision The financial future of racing in NSW is secure following a decisive legal victory for Racing NSW over corporate betting agencies in the Federal Court today. Racing NSW executives were elated when three Federal Court handed down a unanimous ruling upholding the right of the NSW racing authority to impose a 1.5 per cent tax on turnover from all wagering operators covering NSW racing. Naturally Peter V'Landys is claiming victory and that his judgment as supreme ruler of NSW racing should never...

Change this week at Ladbrokes with a major internal reshuffle (a cynic might say of the deckchairs on the Titanic). Relatively new chief exec Richard Glynn has brought in several fresh faces and moved a few old names on. Definitely out with the old, in with the new. Asian bookie 12Bet who have major sponsorships with Sevilla in La Liga and snooker tournaments, will be acquired by Asian online casino and poker firm, AsianLogic , in a move thought to complement their existing range of products. Betfair's share price has taken a predictable tumble, dropping from the peak of around £15.50 during conditional trading to the current £13.95 as smaller shareholders wish to cash in their chips. No reason to think the price will fall much further, it was always going to surge briefly as the public got excited about it. Tabcorp held a record $107m on Tuesday's Melbourne Cup, buoyed by the form of superstar stallion So You Think, who started as the shortest favourite in decades. He...

There's no denying that Australia is a nanny state now. Political correctness, occupational health & safety and ambulance-chasing lawyers have changed the fabric of society, almost entirely for the poorer. A couple of years ago, a constitutional challenge by corporate bookmakers and Betfair threw out the age-old ban on bookmakers advertising in states other than the one they were licensed in. It defied the constitutional notion of free trade across state borders which every other industry had benefitted from since federation in 1901. But the nanny state mentality fought back in order to protect their once state-owned monopoly TABs, with the banning of incentives for free bets - standard marketing practice anywhere else in the world. Bookies charged for bet offers CHARGES have been laid against three bookmakers just four days out from the biggest event of the Spring Carnival. The Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulaion has laid charges against three bookmaker firms ove...

The time of the most stubborn and incompetent racing administrator in the world is coming to an end. Defiantly, he still refuses to believe that a court could possibly rule against him and his policies which were proven in court to be discriminatory, and thus illegal. NSW Racing is being crippled by the amount of ridiculous legal fees this bozo and his board are wasting on cases they simply cannot win. Contrast this rhetoric as dictated to TABCorp and Racing NSW's mouthpiece, the Daily Telegraph, with this analysis from Bill Saunders , an industry analyst who actually understands the principles of law and negotiation. The Punters' Show on Racenet had an excellent interview with Andrew Twaits on the subject. Finally the industry that V'Landys supposedly lives and breathes for has had enough, a vote of 'no confidence' in V'Landys and the Racing NSW board is set to be put forward at next week's board meeting . Leading NSW trainer Gai Waterhouse said "It ...

The Productivity Commission has recommended that Tabcorp's ownership of SkyChannel, the primary racing broadcaster, be investigated by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. This, in conjunction with recommendations that Tabcorp's retail outlet monopoly be ceased and that NSW and Queensland racing authorities get off their high horse and negotiate product fees not based on turnover, which discriminates against competitors of the TABs, are major blows to Tabcorp. Tabcorp on notice The Productivity Commission recommended the Federal Government refer the ownership to the ACCC. The commission found that the "vertical integration of Tabcorp's wagering and broadcast business has potentially serious implications for competition in the wagering market". "As the capacity for punters to view racing is a key factor of production for wagering operators that compete with Tabcorp, this arrangement may frustrate competitive access to racing broadcasts," th...

Yesterday's decision doesn't seem to have decided much - Betfair will certainly appeal the verdict against them.Bill Saunders argues that their case was hampered by Racing NSW not releasing relevant information until too late. Betfair was in fact disadvantaged by its lack of knowledge of the rebate arrangement when preparing its statement of claim. Sportsbet, with its case being heard after Betfair, was able to amend its statement of claim accordingly. Racing NSW will almost certainly piss more money up the wall appealing against the Sportsbet verdict as well. One thing that will happen is that all NSW operators, including Tabcorp, will now be forced to pay the fees, which they conveniently didn't have to pay under the flawed V'Landys policy. There is no longer a threshold for payment and no mates' deals for the TABs - one policy for everyone, not just a tax on those evil interstate companies. The last point, re interstate companies, may therefore infringe the cons...

No, it's not Robert Nason, the former CEO of Racing Victoria, who has recently resigned from Tabcorp and moved onto Telstra, oft nominated for the most stubborn company in Australia, it's Dr Friedhelm Repnik claiming that match-fixing would never occur if German citizens were only allowed to bet via his company. Challenge to Baden-Württemberg Monopoly Rejected The Chief Executive of Germany’s Baden-Württemberg Lotto company, Dr. Friedhelm Repnik, has called on the government to close illegal betting shops and step up the fight against European online betting providers, suggesting that the recent match-fixing scandal in German football is the result of such ‘uncontrolled’ betting. Repnik’s comments followed a ruling last week by the Administrative Court of Baden-Württemberg, in an appeal against a cease and desist order issued against private betting shops which allegedly brokered sports bets for betting companies licensed in Gibraltar and Malta. It's not the European-licen...

This might seem second nature in the UK but it's a new development in Australia. On-course bookies had to be just that, and while recent law changes had allowed local bookmakers to form companies and trade 24/7, that was only if they were on track within that state. Now Victoria has allowed Centrebet, Sportsbet, and the big one, TABCorp trading as TAB Sportsbet, to work on the rails. Bit controversial they have been allowed to queue jump and not be subject to the normal procedures of Victorian bookies during spring carnival time, but it's hardly surprising. TABCorp goes on the rails TABCORP will join the Flemington rails as an on-course bookie for the first time on Derby Day. Tabcorp has won approval from the Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation to short-circuit Victoria Bookmakers' Association rules to gain a rails berth. Derby Day, this Saturday at Flemington, is the best day of domestic racing anywhere in the world. Quality from start to finish, and over 100,000 ...

Betfair, Ladbrokes, TABCorp and others have all pulled out or had offers rejected. What happens now? The price did seem a bit rich given the current economic climate, and particularly the changing wagering landscape in Australia. Tote Tasmania's sale plan in turmoil The Tasmanian Government may float the state’s Tote on the stock market after failing to find a buyer during a protracted bidding process. In a statement, Treasurer Michael Aird said two binding formal bids received when the window for formal tenders closed last week did not value Tote Tasmania at a “fair and reasonable” price. However, he insisted the sales process would continue on the open market and could possibly involve a public float. He said abandoning the private bidding process after months of haggling sent a message that the Tote would not be sold cheaply. Do they hold their cards, hoping that changing legislation works in their favour so they can achieve that sale price eventually, or do they...

The 'independent review of wagering policy and regulation' (are these things ever genuinely independent anymore?), the Cameron Report, made many recommendations for changes to the NSW wagering industry and policy. The NSW govt has taken its time, but has finally come back with some changes which might actually be a positive move for the punting public. Cameron Report - Fixed-odds breakthrough for NSW Recommendations adopted include: • pursuing a national co-ordinated approach to the regulation and taxation of wagering; • allowing the NSW TAB to offer fixed odds betting on all races through its account betting network on the phone and internet; • after further consultation and support of the industry, NSW bookmakers will be permitted to accept bets at racecourses using the internet or telephone on a 24/7 basis, as in Victoria; • not permitting betting on reality TV shows, economic events and the like; • prohibiting off-course retail bookmaking kiosks; and • givin...

You'd think running a tote business in a region with a strong racing product, plenty of retail outlets and high margins would mean large, guaranteed profits. Apparently not. Off-track betting under fire for vehicle fleet The betting operation, which is heavily indebted and government-controlled, has come under scrutiny by the state comptroller, Thomas P. DiNapoli, for having a fleet of 87 vehicles at its disposal, according to an article in The New York Times on Tuesday. The vehicles cost an average of $6,700 each to operate every year. ... The betting parlors are floundering in fiscal mismanagement. Last year, they recorded a deficit of $17.8 million, despite handling $1 billion in wagers. On Tuesday, Governor David A. Paterson issued an executive order authorizing OTB to file for bankruptcy protection. What the ....? 87 company cars around one of the world's most traffic unfriendly cities? Get on the bloody subway! Have they ever thought of looking at how similar b...

TVN had tried it but with limited broadcast rights and loads of filler programmes. Sky have finally got their act together and looked towards a global racing channel, covering the best racing each day in Australia, then linking up with international meetings overnight. Sky racing towards a new TV era Sounds promising, but you always have to be wary of the implementation when Sky/TABCorp are involved...

Not sure exactly what this means - the fee structure gets overturned (how could it - surely they can't get Racing Victoria to change everyone else's fee structure?) or if it means the TABCorp's charge now changes to a significantly lower figure in line with everyone else? This could have ramifications... Tabcorp successfully challenge Victoria race fields fee We'll have to wait and see what Bill Saunders and the like have to say about it. The Age has more on the story here Tabcorp has $200m court win over racing fee Does it all go back to the drawing board now?

Could it be? TABCorp has announced that pools for the Big6 - their poorer cousin of the UK's Scoop6 could have one pool operating by early next year. BIG6 pools merger on the cards About time - what's the point of having a jackpot pool if it's not the biggest you can possibly make it? It's a good move to do it, but they are still missing a trick. To get the most out of this bet type, they should package the six races up each week for free-to-air TV so it gets the maximum exposure possible.

Snippets from the Aus financial wires.. Tabcorp share assessment Tabcorp's only NT wagering arm, Luxbet, set up to take on the likes of Centrebet and Sportsbet, isn't yet making money and the win rates aren't where they should be. But Luxbet has accrued 23,000 customers and Funke Kupper claims its brand recognition is up there with the likes of Centrebet. Funke Kupper is taking a “fight them on the beaches” approach to customer retention, especially in wagering. “It's really important we stand in the market place,” he declares. “We will take people on, even though it's not necessarily cheap for us.” The rumours were that Luxbet was set up with bottomless pockets in a concerted effort to take market share away from the likes of Centrebet, Sportingbet, Sportsbet, so that backs up the theory. Tote Tasmania may sell for A$300m next month Four companies -- Tabcorp Holdings Ltd., Tatts Group Ltd., U.K.-based Ladbrokes Plc and Greece’s Intralot SA -- are on the short-list ...

A publicly-listed company CEO is responsible to his or her shareholders and the board. Peter V'Landys, head of Racing NSW, leads a government-backed organisation and has no such issues with accountability. If he was out in the public sector, he'd been out of a job long, long ago. What an absolute goose. He has gone public on the Racing NSW website commenting about a letter from leading NSW bookmaker Robbie Waterhouse, just before the Racing NSW vs Betfair and Sportsbet case over race fields legislation and the inappropriate turnover-based fee goes to court. Rule 1 of legal cases - don't comment in the public domain just before the case is heard. You risk putting the judge offside by making dangerous assumptions, give the opposition chance to react and risk being held in contempt of court. Take a look at Bill Saunders' article - Racing NSW Rattled Never has someone so powerful had so little clue about the law or anti-monopoly regulations and glossed over the facts that t...

As much as I like to criticise crusty old monopolies who can't handle the concept of competition, I must give kudos to TABCorp for putting their money behind harness racing in Australia. It's how I first got into betting and I still enjoy watching it, even from afar. TABCorp have bought the naming rights sponsorship for the two new state-of-the-art harness racing tracks in Melton, just outside Melbourne, and Menangle, just outside Sydney. TABCorp throws its might behind Menangle Park in new deal Now, maybe if they pulled their finger out and streamed the pictures online to those who can't see Sky Racing, they'd have a great chance of extending their audience even further.