Sport is made for betting

Could sport be fighting back against the corrupt individuals who wish to poison their respective games to line their own pockets? Encouraging signs this week with cricket and rugby league both acting to stem the tide. In cricket, first the British Crown Prosecution Service announced it was charging the three Pakistan cricketers with obtaining and accepting corrupt payments, and conspiracy to cheat. Bear in mind that the CPS was the authority who were laughed out of court when trying to convict leading jockey Kieran Fallon of pulling horses a few years ago. Let's hope they've got their act together since then. Long drawn out cases which ultimately fail ruin reputations and make lawyers rich. A day later, the ICC have come down hard on the three players, with minimum suspensions of five years. Expect appeals from each player pleading their innocence first, and then for leniency. There's legs in this case yet, but it's encouraging to see the ICC impose serious penal...

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. ...

Well done to the NRL here for having something most sporting bodies are too afraid/too feeble to have - BALLS. Too many sporting authorities allow cheats, or clubs which are financially mismanaged to the level of incompetence or blatant cheating, to continue with barely a slap on the wrist - hardly a deterrent for any other. FIFA and the Premier League - take note. The Melbourne Storm, the most successful NRL team of recent years have been stripped of two premierships, several minor premierships, all points for season 2010 (gained and yet to be played for) and fined heavily for systematic breaches of the NRL salary cap over several seasons. The club was caught running a second set of books - one with the 'official' contracts listed, and one with the real values. It's not the first time it has happened in the NRL, although this is the biggest breach. Melbourne Storm stripped of two premierships for salary cap breach Melbourne Storm have been stripped of two NRL premierships...

Last match of the season, the team already knows they will get the wooden spoon - what exactly is there to play for? Apparently a free night at a brothel... Victorian gambling board probes suspicious bets on Roosters game The Herald revealed last month there was bitter division within the Roosters team because of fears a small group of players had manipulated the result of the match against the Cowboys on September 6 to extend their loss beyond 13 points. The Roosters went from being 16-6 ahead at half-time to losing the game by 32-16, leaving the bookmakers and betting agencies with a payout of between $4 and $5.50 to the large number of punters who had backed the Roosters to lose by 13 points plus. ... It has been alleged that some of those Roosters players then ''celebrated'' winning the wooden spoon by visiting a brothel where they were provided with free services. The Herald revealed that one Roosters player openly accused a teammate of getting some kind of kickbac...

Just NRL this week for me, once again with no byline.. NRL Round 14 preview

It has been a crazy week here so apologies for the lack of updates - it won't happen again :) This week I've been busy. NRL previews French Open title previews here Monaco F1 preview IPL finals preview

Got a few articles up on Betting@Betfair this week.. F1 post-qualifying preview , very keen on the two bets listed. Deccan Chargers IPL - don't read too much into this one, all the writers drew straws for a team and had to make a case for them. I have backed Herschelle Gibbs at 25/1 each-way for Top Runscorer though. NRL Round 6 form (no byline)

I've got a couple of tipping columns being published at the moment, so follow these at your peril :) Rugby League WTA tennis

Betfair's sponsorship portfolio in Australia now covers Betfair Park racing, Hawthorn FC, numerous sport and racing sponsorships in Tasmania and now the Wests Tigers. A big step up from the doom-sayers saying every cent would go back to the UK when lobbying for a licence just a few yrs ago. Read the LeagueHQ article here An interesting progression considering that the NRL has been the sporting body most concerned (or should I say hypocritical?) regarding gambling sponsorship. A decade ago when the government-owned SportsTAB opened, the NRL couldn't give them enough perimeter signage. A change of CEO and public sentiment re gambling, particularly in NSW where the league clubs' finances are heavily based on the pokies clubs and the gambling problems they create, and those relationships changed. Over the years the NRL has had a few minor gambling scandals, nothing of the magnitude of match-fixing, but more exotic markets such as First Tryscorer and TV markets such as Man of th...

from OnThePunt.com The annual State of Origin rugby league series always proves a hit with punters - but the winner of Game One's "Channel Nine Man of the Match" had some punters and bookies scratching their heads. NSW five-eighth Greg Bird (10/1) got the nod ahead of the likes of Gasnier, Wallace, Cooper and Fitzgibbon. The Australian selectors vote for the man of the match award. Fair enough some might say, its the opinion of four blokes who have had a bit to do with Rugby League over their time and it is just that - an opinion. But here's the stinger. Within the betting industry, the Channel Nine Man of Match award has a bit of a reputation for being a touch on "dodgy" side over the years. And now we find out that several bookies laid three players before the jump - all to significantly high wagers. The players were Buderus, Hodges and Greg Bird. At least one bookmaker is believed to be seeking clarification from authorities citing integrity concerns and ...