Betting agencies spitting the dummy over certain matches or framed markets is not an issue for any sports governing body. Or is it?
Betting on sports other than horse racing is a reasonably recent phenomenon in Australia which has developed extensively over the past two decades.
Just recently, there have been some incidents of betting agencies withdrawing from certain matches or markets.
Apparently betting on the wooden spoon in the AFL has been suspended by some betting agencies due to the allegations around ‘tanking’.
No doubt any bets on Melbourne to win the wooden spoon looked right on the money given they’re 6 points behind Fremantle on the bottom of the ladder.
However, are betting agencies taking their ‘bat and ball home’ to protect themselves or are they making a point to the AFL about the implications of tanking? Whose credibility is at stake: the betting agency or the AFL?
Betting on the St Kilda–Hawthorn game in Round 19 has now been suspended. Apparently some late, rather large, bets on Hawthorn to win due to potentially unknown St Kilda injuries have forced the betting agencies to withdraw from the market.
Inside mail from the punters was deemed too good due to a flood of money that seemed to know something they did not. So it’s OK for the betting agency to use their inside mail to frame betting markets, but if a punter gets wind of a potentially game changing factor, they run.
The Courier Mail is reporting a windfall by one punter who won $18,750 on Daniel Merrett kicking the first goal in the Brisbane-Collingwood game in Round 18.
Merrett was selected at full back but lined up at full forward at the start of the match. According to the betting agency, no money the previous week was placed on Merrett to kick the first goal thus raising suspicions.
The Lions have denied any wrong doing but do concede it’s possible an innocent comment was made about team selection which a punter got wind of and collected big time.
The concern for me is not that the Lions have an issue, but the betting agency is sticking its nose into positional moves that they lose money on and its hits the headlines.
Are betting agencies using the media to force the AFL to protect their bets?
Who’s in your ultimate team? Pick the best team and compete with other fans for daily prizes on Draftstars. For the best odds on the game try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? Set a deposit limit.
Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley concedes his punt on Connor Rozee backfired spectacularly after the captain was hurt again in a 30-point loss to…
For somewhere between two and three and a half quarters, depending on how generous you want to be, Adelaide didn't do a whole lot…
Hopefully Jake Soligo doesn't keep it in there for too long!
