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Australian racing chief demands Gov't close controversial 'in-play' sports betting loophole

Xinhua, February 3, 2016 Adjust font size:

Australia's horse racing chief has lobbied the Federal government to close a "loophole" in the nation's gambling law which allows for 'in-play' betting on live sport and racing - that is, after contests have actually started.

Racing Australia chief executive Peter McGauran believes "mindless" in-play betting has made racing, and other sports, more open to corruption from crime syndicates looking to exploit the controversial feature.

"We feel so strongly about the threat that in-play betting poses to integrity that we believe that the loophole in the Interactive Gambling Act that allows in-play betting on races should be closed," McGauran told The Australian on Wednesday.

Despite Australia banning live betting on active sports contests - except those made over the telephone - in 2001, the restrictions did not apply to racing.

In recent years, overseas bookmakers William Hill, Ladbrokes and Bet365 have bypassed the law altogether, extending in-play wagers to other sports, through a system which apparently emulates a phone call.

William Hill, whose partnership with the Australian Open was lambasted last week after reports that tennis was rife with match fixing, has claimed the scheme is legal under the Act. The other two agencies, meanwhile, have never commented on the legality of the system.

The Australian government, with the assistance of former New South Wales Premier Barry O' Farrell, is currently in the midst of reviewing online betting structures.

McGauran's submission, made on behalf of Racing Australia, has urged law makers to "eliminate loopholes currently being exploited by certain Australian-based operators to circumvent the existing prohibition".

"It's an integrity and an economic issue," he said on Wednesday.

"There would be significant migration of revenue from traditional racing wagering to sports betting to in-play, which is mindless repetitions in front of a big screen that for many is reminiscent of poker machines.

"Apart from the clear and immediate threat to integrity from illegal online bookmaking, the revenue loss over time will significantly damage one of Australia's leading industries and its 200,000 employees."

As part of Racing Australia's submission, they recommended the government blocks internet access to overseas gambling services and bank deposits to unlicensed bookmakers, while also creating a special taskforce to police match fixing and corruption in sport. Endit