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Nicknamed "the race that stops a nation", the $5 million Melbourne Cup is Australia's most important annual thoroughbred horse race. Tradition The race has traditionally been run on the first Tuesday in November, since it was first held in 1861. Held over approximately two miles (3.2 kilometers), the Melbourne Cup is considered the most prestigious handicap over that distance, with jockeys and trainers coming from traditional horse-racing countries like Ireland, Britain, Japan and Hong Kong to try and catch their piece of the glory. Held every year at Flemington Racecourse in Australia's second-largest city, Melbourne, the race is open to all horses three-years-old and up. Public holiday The Melbourne Cup received its nickname because an entire nation of 21 million people literally stops to watch the race of just over three minutes. Melbourne Cup Day is an official public holiday in the south-eastern state of Victoria (of which Melbourne is the capital), and in the Australian Capital Territory. There have been repeated calls to make the day a public holiday in other states too, as it has been somewhat of a tradition for offices to close early and bosses to shout their employees drinks prior to the race. Even in New Zealand, across the Tasman Sea, the Cup is watched in huge numbers and is the country's single biggest betting event. Betting on the cup Aside from the workplace cup "sweeps" conducted in offices and schools across Australia and New Zealand, huge amounts of money are bet on this event. While the exact numbers are not known, in 2000 Australian bookmaker TAB estimated that 80% of Australia's adult population placed a bet on the event. It's common on Race Day to see parents turn up with their kids to help them legally place their first ever bet. 2008 Melbourne Cup As usual, the race will take place on the first Tuesday in November, which falls this year on November 4. Bets can be placed with most major online bookmakers, with the current favorites at Australian bookmaker Betfair: Septimus, 5.7, Mad Rush, 6.4, and 2007 winner, the New Zealand-bred Efficient, 8.0.
Rudd as PM Kevin Rudd, the incumbent Australian Prime Minister has requested a probe into gambling. Amidst concerns that several Australian states are relying too heavily on gambling as a revenue source, Rudd had the Productivity Commission do a little investigation into the matter. Based on figures from 2005, the Australian National University's Centre for Gambling Research (NUCGR) discovered that around $4 billion in taxes were collected from gambling activity. These taxes make up around 12% of state revenue. Rudd made a promise to the Australian electorate to fight the gambling affliction and the inquiry is set to begin on November 24, 2008, with a final report scheduled for the end of 2009. The chances Despite opposition, gambling pundits retain significant support in parliament. Mr. Xenophon, a senator, has argued that the odds are significantly in favour of the gambling industry. This view is based on the assertion that gambling in fact creates thousands of jobs, both through the casino and hotel/tourism sector. Online gambling has also come under the microscope. The federal government is conducting extensive research into the impact of gambling on related industries and its contribution to tax revenue. Among others, the commission will delve into the socio-economic aspects of gambling and the nation's ability to deal with problem gambling - this is in respect of social welfare services and NGOs available in that regard. Regulation is key The Australian government is looking to establish measures that would minimise harmful gambling activities for both state and territory governments. A report conducted nine years ago found that 2.1% of adults were problem gamblers - a figure expected to be significantly higher with the advent of online gambling. Social costs Rudd has made it clear that he is against poker machines because of their ability to wreck families' livelihoods. However he has allowed for open debate on the issue. Educational initiatives aimed at informing people of the inherent dangers of gambling addiction are taking place on a state-by-state basis. Of the states in Australia, New South Wales has the most machines at 105,500 with Queensland at 44,023 and Victoria at 30,000. The goal is responsible gambling, which is achieved through regulation, not prohibition.
In clear recognition of the impact that online casinos are having on society, the Australian rugby league football team Gold Coast Titans have thrown their lot in with online gambling. For as long as men and women have been playing competitive sports, men and women have been betting on the outcomes of those matches. Following similar moves from teams located around the globe, the Gold Coast Titans have teamed up with Betezy, an online gambling company. The Titan’s decision to team up with an online casino company is likely to herald in further deals of the same nature. Manly and Manchester are two teams that have been considering the move. Australia’s National Rugby League has sanctioned a number of these alliances, with bodes well for further such unions in the future. NRL Chief Executive Mr. David Gallop stated that, “While we accept that sports betting is a reality and that clubs are looking to build revenue streams, we will retain the right to examine each proposal on a case by case basis.”
Parliament in the Australian state of New South Wales introduced an amendment on Tuesday to the Gaming Machines Act 2001, which the government says would reduce poker machine numbers. NSW Gaming and Racing Minister Kevin Greene said the bill was aided by consultation with gambling counselors and community groups, and that it would bring in "community protector measures", such as banning cash withdrawals on credit cards inside gambling venues. But the bill has met with some stiff opposition from opposition MPs who say it could actually bring about an increase in the number of poker machines. "The government is spinning these new laws as a win for problem gamblers, but they barely change the status quo," said NSW Greens MP and gambling spokesperson Lee Rhiannon. "Gambling venues in LGAs (local government areas) with low numbers of electronic gaming machines can now purchase up to 20 extra machines with a social impact assessment." Rhiannon said the bill should instead set long-term targets to significantly reduce the number of poker machines in Australia's most populous state.
Australia's social security authority, Centrelink, is using records provided by casinos as part of its means testing for welfare recipients, the Sydney Morning Herald has reported. Centrelink reportedly checked records provided to them by Sydney's Star City Casino in its pursuit of people on aged or disability support pensions who have racked up welfare debts. The government organization says the money should be counted as income when means testing the recipients. Law targets the wrong people Under new federal anti-money laundering laws introduced to Australia in 2006, casinos can give information to federal authorities regarding suspicious transactions. But the Welfare Rights Centre, which says it has received at least two dozen complaints from senior citizens over the welfare payments, says the wrong people are being targeted. The centre's director, Maree O'Halloran, said casino-goers would be "shocked to learn that the casino collects data on their winnings and losses, let alone forwards it on to Centrelink". High rollers or small fish? "Most of the clients who have contacted the centre are not high rollers," she said. But Human Services Minister Joe Ludwig said the matter is more serious. "We're talking about people who have unexplained gambling turnover of $100,000 over the course of a year," he said. Welfare advocates are appealing to the Federal Privacy Commissioner for intervention.
One Australian bookmaker has reversed its decision to delay paying out bets placed on Barack Obama for the US presidency, but it is still unclear whether a second bookmaker will follow suit. Centrebet announced Saturday that it would pay out the approximately A$2.5 million (US$1.68 million) punters won for backing Senator Obama to win the US election. Following the election, Centrebet and fellow bookmaker Sportsbet told the Sydney Morning Herald they would not be paying out on the bets until after Obama's January 20 inauguration. What if... According to the Herald, one punter claimed a senior Sportsbet official had refused to pay out because of fears Obama could be assassinated before assuming the presidency. Obama was guarded by bullet-proof screens during his post-election Chicago victory speech. But the bookmakers said the terms and conditions of the bets showed that they did not have to pay out until the inauguration, denying that death fears were behind their decision. "God forbid he has a stroke or gets hit by a bus," Sportsbet chief executive Matt Tripp said. "I love the bloke. I want to pay out on him. I think he is good for America and good for the world." Centrebet media director Neil Evans said his company's decision to pay out Obama's backers came about because it was "the right thing to do". No one left out Centrebet took nearly 8,000 bets on the presidential contest totaling $2 million (US$1.35 million). They are expecting to pay out around $2.5 million (US$1.68 million) when those happy Obama punters come in to claim their winnings. The decision of the two Australian bookmakers stands in contrast to other bookmakers around the world. Irish bookmaker Paddy Power was so certain Obama would win the election, it started paying out in October.
New mother Sarah Jackson has returned to her highly competitive poker games within a month of giving birth to son Deacon, provincial Australian newspaper the Warwick Daily News has reported. Jackson has been a regular participant in the Australian Poker League in her native state of Queensland, but took time off from the sport for a month following the birth. Play through labour She had already begun to have contractions during a regional competition in Warwick, a town of around 13,000 people 130 kilometers south-west of Brisbane, but continued playing to eventually finish in third place. Three days later, she won the weekly competition at a local pub, before giving birth the following day. After promising her opponents she would return within a month, "The Queen of Poker" as she has now become known, did exactly that, turning up to a tournament in Warwick last Sunday. She isn't just there to compete, either. Jackson has won 14 poker competitions, the most in her town, and finished 17th from a field of 500 at the Queensland state finals. Jackson's poker-playing friends in Warwick have also given her son Deacon the nickname "Poker Baby."
Revenue from horse and sports betting is set to grow in Australia in the 2008/09 financial year (ending June 30), The Age has reported. According to a new report published by Australian-based Business Information provider IBISWorld, the industries are expected to rebound strongly after tough economic times caused a downturn in the 2007/08 financial year. The racing industry was hit particularly hard in 2007/08, suffering a loss of 9.3 percent for year as a result of the effects of the equine flu scare. The report also predicted that growth would slow to around 2.5 percent in 2009/10. However, harder times are predicted for other gambling pursuits, such as gaming machines and the lottery, with disposable incomes expected to fall again in late 2009. Casinos are expected to suffer a drop of 1.8 percent in revenue this year, followed by a 2.3 percent drop the following financial year. For info on the best sites and promotions for Australian sports betting, check out our online sportsbook reviews.
A poker room that doesn't ask for your money and will even send you to college. Simple as that? Yes, simple as that! Collegepoker.com is running a brilliant concept and to great acclaim. Free games, free tournaments, and all things free with the grand prize of $50,000 in a college scholarship fund. This poker room only supports free play and has weekly free rolls for students to play in. The positioning is very interesting in that the main prize is, by all means, large, and yet the player does not have to spend a cent to enter or win. Free poker tournaments, on Tuesdays ($250 prize) and Wednesdays ($500) are hosted on Cool Hand Poker. The grand prize of $50,000 will be awarded to the top player in June, who will win a tournament between the top 10 payers between now and then.
The Brisbane Broncos have become the latest NRL club to sign a sponsorship deal with an online bookmaker, coming to an agreement with Sportingbet Australia. Unlike other NRL franchises that have signed recently with bookmakers, the Broncos have announced their arrangement with Sportingbet is a straight sponsorship agreement. "There has been some conjecture over this type of sponsorship and it is a sensitive area," Brisbane CEO Bruno Cullen said. "But we have kept this deal very simple. "This is a straight sponsorship agreement between two businesses. There is no revenue sharing." The announcement was the second by an NRL club in a matter of days, following the signing of partnership worth hundreds of thousands of dollars between West Tigers and Betfair. The deal allows Betfair to market its product through on-ground advertising, online opportunities and other initiatives. The Gold Coast Titans are set to earn a percentage of betting revenue after coming to an agreement with Ezybet, while several other clubs, including Newcastle, Cronulla and reigning premiers Manly, have their own deals with betting agencies.
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