Winners & Losers


Meetings will be held this week to eliminate flea bookmaking on fixed odds to enhance Racing NSW's efforts to get punters a better deal.
Negotiations regarding a minimum-to-lose amount of $3000 on the metropolitan races, $1500 on provincials and $1000 on country races is a starting point.
Because the bets are recorded, complaints can be investigated and the appropriate action taken.
Of course, on the old scale, certainly with city racing, they are paltry amounts but the bad habits introduced to Australian betting by the corporates sour many on horse playing.
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"There have been frequent and persistent complaints by punters about wagering operators refusing to take their bets, particularly in circumstances where those punters have been successful," Racing NSW chief executive Peter V'landys justifiably pontificated.

Thus V’Landys intends to apply Race Fields Information Use approvals so “wagering operators are required to stand to lose a minimum amount on any single fixed odds wager on NSW thoroughbred races”.

Punters and bookmakers at the meeting will be consulted on the best way to get a fair go; the move received a mixed reception from the Racenet forum.

“Positive step and sounds good on face value. Two points before we start getting too excited,” the Protagonist stressed. ”It means nothing if they continue to close accounts, and let's see how it affects the odds on offer ...

“It’s probably not possible but a Betfair exchange wholly owned by all Australian race clubs (with minimal take-outs) could kill off all these international corporates that have to pay a levy.”
Back in the early days of Betfair, before the invaders got a toehold on the market, former trainer Geoff Chapman made the same suggestion. Consider how much richer racing would now be if it had been adopted.


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/horsera...l#ixzz34ieh8Q7y