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Controversy over mid-match bets

Posted on Saturday May 15 11:29:00 BST 2010

Betting on horses has always been vital to the racing industry both here in Australia and worldwide. Recently commentators for more traditional sports, such as AFL and cricket have begun promoting odds in the middle of a match. This is considerably easier to do than it would be to promote odds mid horse race. However, the practice has provoked an outcry from anti-gambling groups.

Statistics show that around 3 in 4 Australians enjoy some form of gambling each year, and most do so sensibly.

Earlier in the year legitimate gambling company, Betfair, caused a stir when odds on a test match were cited mid-match.

Commentators are also regularly promoting Betfair odds mid-match in AFL games. Although a spokesperson for the AFL said that they did not support any gambling business, there is a link to betting on their website.

In 2005 the AFL set up an agreement for a partnership with Betfair, whereby the league received a share of revenue taken during AFL matches. Betfair received advertsing opportunities and brand recognition in return.

The AFL has not commented on how much money it earns from this arrangement, but the Australian government earns arond 10% of its tax revenue from taxes on gambling.

So, the controversy over the promotion of odds mid-match will no doubt rumble on. Meanwhile, betting online seems to be becoming a more and more popular way for Australians to place a bet, or play online games.

Melboune Storm investigated over pokies revenue

Posted on Saturday May 1 6:08:00 BST 2010

NRL team the Melbourne storm have certainly been keeping a low profile recently? Not content with abusing salary caps and being stripped of titles, the Strom are back in the news today over a possible $1million + sponsorship payment from pokies magnet Bruce Mathieson.

The secret sponsorship deal is being linked to the salary cap rule break that the Storm were found guilty of earlier in the month. Mathieson’s Aces Sporting Club (a home for pokies) gave the Storm over a million dollars in ‘sport sponsorship in 2003, but it has been revealed that the Storm did not delare this income in the following 5 tax returns. Pokies are allowed on NRL sporting club premises, so the pokies themselves are totally legal, it is the relationship between Aces sports club and the Melbourne Storm that is being investigated.

Presently the NRL club is denying any involvement in the finances of the pokies club, however, we at CTP have a feeling that there is more of this story to come.