Smartgambler sports betting articles
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In defence of betting exchanges
Another letter to OZmium's Director of Racing Services
from a grass roots punter.
Hi Neil.
Love your newsletter and the information it contains
every week. The new "favourites in small fields"
is interesting as well, from memory I think there
has only been one not win since you started collating
the data.
I have been following the "controversy" over betting
exchanges and I am with you as a staunch supporter
of them, both as a gambler and a consumer. I live
in Hong Kong at the moment but as you know with computers
you can be anywhere to analyse form and (with computers
and telephones) bet on what you like but at the moment
I primarily play the Hong Kong races while following
the carnivals back at home.
There is one thing though that I thought would be
worth bringing up the next time someone like Rod Nicholson
or anyone else from the News Limited media (who are
paid money to carry race fields and results by various
state TABs), or indeed the vested interests of the
TABs (any listed company in a service industry such
as a TAB, airline, insurance provider etc is being
disingenuous when they say "the customer comes first"
because the shareholder and increasing that shareholder
base and share price for them is always the prime
concern of any listed company), say that betting exchanges
give nothing back to the industry, will wreck it,
are a blight on the game's integrity etc.
The TABs now bet on all manner of sports including
Australian football, rugby league, rugby union, global
soccer leagues, golf, motor racing and I am sure a
few others.
My question to them (strictly in terms of Australia)
is, "What percentage of turnover are the fixed
odds betting arms of the TABs giving back to these
sports, especially at the kids level? What school
competitions are they sponsoring? Are they charitable
towards sporting programmes for under-privileged kids
in these sports?"
I am sure the list of questions could go on, based
on their, "Betting exchanges siphon money away from
racing", defence even while Betfair has offered
to put money back into racing.
I think the NSW TAB looks even sillier today based
on their "integrity" stand. I read in the Sydney Morning
Herald (smh.com.au) today that the NSW Rugby League
has gone straight to the NSW TAB to investigate possible
rorting on betting during a league game earlier in
the year. Well if the NSW TAB was not offering odds
on these games there would be no reason to doubt the
integrity of the game's result, would there?
Keep up the great work.
Cheers,
Mark Armsden.
PS: I do wish to point out I am in no way connected
to any betting exchange, betting outlet or bookmaker.
I am a gambler who is enjoying choice in the market-place
and alternatives to greedy monopolies.
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