Richard Irvine
@sothegreatgame
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Sydney based punter and racing’s top cop. 👮
Sydney
Joined June 2022
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And then BOOM!
Can’t help but feel the noise we have made has helped lead to this exchange.
We are in play for national bookies betting obligation.
This exchange is a bad look for the great game that can easily be fixed up by a NBBO.
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Today the CEOs of
@sportsbetcomau
@tabcomau
@ladbrokescomau
are presenting to the Fed Govt Inquiry into Online Gambling.
No punters were asked to present so I've done one on our behalf.
I'm calling for a National Bookmakers Betting Obligation that covers all events. I'm also
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“Many people would say that that sort of business model needs to be questioned”
@petajan
on corporate bookies.
She also acknowledges the distinction between bonus bets and genuine bets and she’s hearing us all on Twitter. 💪💪💪
We are in great shape for the fed govt to make
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If you want a fair betting marketplace and all Aussie bookies to be obliged to take a bet on all events they put up please engage with this tweet.
On April 4 SportsBet, Tab, Ladbrokes, Responsible Wagering Australia and others are all meeting with politicians in Canberra to
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The ABC should send a reporter down to Randwick at 3am tomorrow and ask a strapper mucking out a stable in the cold how they feel about their tax dollars going towards the national broadcaster supporting the notion that the third biggest industry in the country is a poison.
"Gambling is, as smoking was, a slow-acting poison that uses sport to mask its taste."
Gideon Haigh on Gillon McLachlan’s appointment as the CEO of Tabcorp.
Watch Offsiders:
#Offsiders
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To all punters who have been fighting for a fairer marketplace for the last decade we need one last push.
@petajan
is in the process of making recommendations to
@AlboMP
and
@AmandaRishworth
on what the game can do better. This is our grand final, our last dance.
Below is my
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MASSIVE BREAKING NEWS:
The Inquiry into Gambling in Canberra has recommended the Government ban all promos and further INTRODUCE A NATIONAL BOOKIES BETTING OBLIGATION. Also gunna be a national regulator and ombudsman. These are only recommendations but it's hard to see the Govt
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So the chairman of Responsible Wagering Australia - who represent Sportsbet, Ladbrokes, Neds, BetFair, UniBet and Bet365 just said this….
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Yesterday was a remarkable day for punters.
@petajan
got close to the crux of the issue. Feel free to tell her more down below.
I think the best way forward, and the best strategy is to try and engage with Responsible Wagering Australia, (peak body for
@sportsbetcomau
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I've been in the game 25 years and I've never seen bookies treating punters so badly.
A few of the new bookies licensed in NT have in their T's and C's that if they suspect you have committed fraud in their "reasonable opinion" they can close your account and not pay you. Then
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In regards to bookies citing terms and conditions breaches and not paying punters what they have won, I have written in great detail to RNSW, RV, RQLD, NT Gaming and the Fed Govt with deep evidence that a minority of bookies only apply this rule when punters win.
I have asked
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PUNTERS, PLEASE HELP ME GET MICHELLE’S ATTENTION.
Hey
@MRowlandMP
hearing that your govt are close to making final decisions around changes to the wagering industry and important industry figures are being called to Canberra. So far as I can tell no punters have been included
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This is an open letter to
@MRowlandMP
asking her to agree to the proposed National Bookies Betting Obligation and also to take a more measured approach to banning promos and advertising.
PLEASE BACK ME UP, MAKE NOISE, LET MICHELLE KNOW PUNTERS NEED HER. WE ARE NEARLY THERE!!!
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And this was TabCorp’s response to the account restrictions line of questioning from
@petajan
in today’s inquiry
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What devastating news. None of us realised how sick she was.
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Under no circumstances is this part okay.
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November 13. After thorough scouring of my bank statements the bookmaker has noticed a number of deposits and withdrawals to other bookmakers. An outrageous request has been made that I provide lifetime activity statements from 5 other bookmakers the I frequently use.
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Pleased to see Liquor & Gaming NSW send this to bookies warning them they are looking into their conduct. If you feel you have been bullied by a bookie you should send them this media release and tell them you're reporting them to Liquor & Gaming NSW. We need all the states to
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The BetR $101 promo is the GOAT of all bookies promos. And it will never be beaten. I hope y’all are making the most of it.
Gunna have to cost them $100 million plus when it’s all said and done. But I guess that’s what you gotta do to get marketshare these days.
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The anti gambling/racing lobby has got hold of this tweet and are piling on me with force. Which is ironic as the broad progressive movement they represent is all about humans being more gentler, respectful and empathetic to each other. They follow that mantra until it doesn't
The ABC should send a reporter down to Randwick at 3am tomorrow and ask a strapper mucking out a stable in the cold how they feel about their tax dollars going towards the national broadcaster supporting the notion that the third biggest industry in the country is a poison.
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Time to call
@PalmerbetAU
out. I am blocked by them but if y’all retweet it far and wide they might answer us. Let’s go for 100 retweets!
PalmerBet, why do you this? Is it to disadvantage particular punters?
Or is it only directed at punters you think might be using automation
@sothegreatgame
@GallopBet
@AussiePunter32
Like this travesty I have to endure when putting a bet on at Palmerbet. Obviously a ploy to avoid accepting a bet at the price they have advertised. Happy to discuss.
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A minority of bookies are using anti money laundering laws to close punters accounts and worse, not pay them. They say punter is suspicious, actually all the punter has done is have the temerity to win.
Regulators must stop it. I’ll be going hard to make that happen
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Because of
@aussiefairplay
punters now have leverage to get a better market place. Lets start at the top with
@AmandaRishworth
Her govt has all it needs to widen MBLs to sport and allow in play betting. Please let her know if this letter speaks for you by RT, likes and commenting
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This is what the inquiry said about the practice of bookies banning winning punters.
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I’ve whinged a lot this year in this account, but at the same time I’ve recorded interviews with some of the biggest and most interesting characters in the great game about all that is right in the game. If you get some time over the holidays you should check them out. There is
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Just found this. The list of meetings the govt had regarding the recommendations for the industry.
66 conversations about the future of the industry and not one with a punter.
How good is the great game. 😎
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*IMPORTANT TWEET*
As we move towards national regulation, and a national bookies betting obligation, the biggest hurdle we punters are gonna face are a small number of mostly former on-course bookies (not all on course bookies) who have moved online and don’t think there should
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Ready to get back into the punters advocacy space. Starting with this op-ed. Lezzz go!
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The Vic Gov just released its wide ranging findings into gambling regulation in Victoria.
These two recommendations are very positive. We desperately need a national ombudsman so we have one touchpoint for complaints. The current set up of 25 plus regulators to complain to is
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I had my request for a meeting with
@MRowlandMP
rejected (letter attached).
I’m presuming the Govt don’t plan to speak to any punters when making decisions on last year’s Online Gambling Inquiry. That’s a worry considering their decisions will have a profound impact on this
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I’ll send this to NT Govt and ask them if they think this conduct is acceptable. Every day the lengths bookies go to goes to new levels.
NEVER BEEN ANGRIER
I am in contact with Racing Vic and RNSW as well about it. The more
of you that contact them the better.
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Unfair account closures update:
I emailed a bookie asking to mediate the situation a punter has with them over a closed account.
They ignored me so I a put formal complaint into their state racing body and gaming commission, asking for a full audit of the account closure.
We
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For everyone who is frustrated and angry about the convoluted process of complaining about unfair account closures and not getting paid what you won, how good does this read.
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Comments like this from federal MP Mike Freelander show how much work we have to do as an industry in the New Year to avoid what will basically be a shutdown of the industry.
Principal Racing Authorities need to get punters like me in the room with Mike Freelander and
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I spoke with
@m_felgate
this AM about NT Gaming not investigating bookies when they close punters accounts. Have a listen..
This decision from NT Gaming also just came to hand - the frightening part is a punter had to wait nearly 3 years for a ruling that
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I heard from another punter who has been in contact with
@petajan
’s office that she has been swamped by emails regarding the inquiry in Canberra at levels never seen before.
Let’s hope our cause is given the attention it deserves when the inquiry hands down its findings.
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This is huge too. One regulator for all bookies who writes the rules and administers them. This is the best result of all.
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For punters who think bookies falsely use “know your customer” and anti money laundering laws to try and not pay them the best thing you can do is report it to
@AUSTRAC
. It’s out of control and the best way to stop it is bring it to AUSTRAC’s attention. They’ll sort the bookies
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We will get brushed a lot, it'll be a grind, but we'll be respectful, patient and keep pestering them until we get some of their time. Our arguments are very strong, and I guarantee significant change within 12 months💪Please add in thoughts and feedback.
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Enjoyed chatting with
@m_felgate
and
@RSN927
about proposed govt changes to the wagering industry.
Considering punters can't get a meeting with
@MRowlandMP
or
@AlboMP
about the changes they could at the least listen to the interview as I think I articulate my arguments for the
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I was heartened by the response to this tweet. I’m spending this week reading all the submissions of the speakers who will address parliament next week.
No punters were invited to speak but I’ll make a video address for Twitter and drop it at 9am next Tuesday (the day of the
If you want a fair betting marketplace and all Aussie bookies to be obliged to take a bet on all events they put up please engage with this tweet.
On April 4 SportsBet, Tab, Ladbrokes, Responsible Wagering Australia and others are all meeting with politicians in Canberra to
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IMPORTANT TWEET
Below is a story from the Tele today about POC tax going up as high as 21% based on Tabcorp arguing they are disadvantaged under current tax regime.
The key quote from Treasurer Daniel Mookhey
@dmookheyMLC
is "The NSW Government will apply strict scrutiny to
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I chatted with
@m_felgate
and
@Mattunchained
on RSN this morning about the events in Canberra yesterday. I'm on at the 17:45 mark
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Just saw this one, hard to keep up with it all. All gambling advertising to be banned within 3 years except for "dedicated racing channels".
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The greatest advertisement for NSW Treasurer
@dmookheyMLC
to chill on the idea of POC of 21% in NSW.
Full story from
@TheStraightX
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This is my piece "Everyone Wants to Bet". It's the basis of the arguments I'll be taking to all the principal racing authorities, all the sporting codes and wagering operators as we try to get a better deal for punters now we have
@aussiefairplay
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This is pleasing to see. You'd hope it ends the flagrant practice of a minority of bookies using anti-money laundering laws and responsible gambling measures to not pay or disadvantage genuine punters who aren't bowling.
A surge in complaints that bookmakers are utilising compliance processes to unfairly block or ban winning punters has led one racing authority to caution bookmakers that they may be breaching the law.
#wagering
Full Story:
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Spent the last year working on this. Should be some fun.
It’s a platform for all us punters to hang out, bet and hopefully win.
I’ve put my 25 years punting experience and connections into it. Hopefully it’s a great betting experience. 💪🐺
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Everything that’s wrong with the great game in one tweet.
@RustyAlbionPark
@betracing_sport
Got a quaddie on Capalaba dogs with Palmerbet. It paid $1800. They paid me $126 cause that was total in victab pool. Palmerbet declared Div on their website $1800. Joke is an understatement.
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I put myself in that category and would love to be able to help your government establish the recommendations that your government agrees with. If it’s not me that’s okay, but you have to have a punter or multiple punters involved.
Finally, the wagering industry is full of
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Not great.
“The territory’s racing regulations tend to favour bookies over punters.”
This is the latest comment from
@sportsbetcomau
@petajan
@sothegreatgame
🤷🏼♀️🤷🏼♀️
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@LukeKrahe
It’s a must. Bookies use it as a way to avoid MBL and also have a ridiculous advantage being able to use it and us punters not. A National MBL without allowing automation is not a MBL. The current situation around automation and the way bookies use it to disadvantage punters is
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Very interesting. I think the big positive is that one of the country’s best business minds has decided his next venture is in wagering/racing and that is a good endorsement for the game as we defend our social licence.
Gil has a big challenge to get
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Appreciated getting a response from
@AmandaRishworth
office.
All 10 National Framework measures will be in place by Nov. Then we pressure the Govt to do another review into wagering. If bookies, punters, regulators lobby together for that review, the game will really prosper.
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Moving to Recommendation 3 : “The Committee recommends that, as the priority of the national strategy and with the cooperation of the states and territories, the Australian Government: establish national regulation and a national online gambling regulator with the sole
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Interesting. Hope this is true.
Amazing what a bit of negative publicity can do to a betting company…Palmerbet’s recaptcha is now gone it seems.
@sothegreatgame
@littlebirdietv
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Good to get in the paper. Hopefully more exposure to come for a better marketplace for punters. I downloaded a lot of thoughts on
@ameliamcguiree
and she agreed there was a lot more to be investigated about the current state of the great game.
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Hey
@MRowlandMP
and
@AlboMP
if you’re going to ban all forms of social media gambling advertising you may as well close the industry down. The wagering industry cannot maintain its audience nor grow it if you are going to cut it off from the dominant growth engine for all
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Then tell the Fed Govt. to allow in-play betting. No punter loves calling up their bookie to bet in-play when every facet of life is done instantly on-line on their phone now. 😀
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If BetR let you multi all their $101 promos up and you have your $10 on the multi, if all 6 options win you’ll collect $2.2 trillion.
You could become the world’s first trillionaire.
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It’s a crazy rule, punters shouldn’t be forced to bet when they don’t want to and bookies shouldn’t be forced to make them. It’s a broken rule based on trying to stop people money laundering but catches out legitimate punters trying to bet, but they’re not being allowed to bet on
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Imagine voting for the Greens:
The Greens communications spokesperson, Sarah Hanson-Young, said: “Nothing less than a plan to eliminate all broadcast and online gambling advertising is good enough.
“It is only the corporate giants profiting off human suffering from the
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@TheLegUpAus
@SurgeAus
Yeah, seems completely unfair what they are doing. Hopefully a bit of bad press on Twitter will get them to rescind what they’ve done. If not, you’re gonna have to complain to the Northern Territory Gaming commission. And then wait, as usual.
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@clair_gibbon
@PalmerbetAU
My advocacy has always been about self interest. I want to bet and win, if what I want helps other punters, that’s great. Seems that it does.
Automation being allowed won’t help me, I don’t bet big enough.
So what happens at the moment is bookies are allowed automation and
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Extraordinary story. The National Broadcaster tells Johnson he can’t work with them on moral grounds because of his completely independent deal with BetNation. Awful, awful take by ABC.
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@dutchy1515
@pike_in
This is the pertinent point with it all. They do nothing unless you win. I have made this point strongly to all regulators and am waiting on feedback from them.
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@LewyOliver
@BetDeluxeAU
@yourboyhullz
@tstrange91
@justkeeppunting
Hi mate, yeah so obviously their fault. Amazing they can’t fix it up. It’s good you have a record of it because if they win you’ll be able to claim and win. Embarrassing behaviour by them
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Full replay of today’s inquiry.
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@JackJBet
Yeah there should be mate. Completely unacceptable what’s happened. It seems as though the bookmaker in question is insolvent and the Northern Territory Gaming Commission have so far done absolutely nothing about it and seem to have no plan. All punters affected by it deserve
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@mcmungawar
@b09293234
They could threaten to suspend NSW race fields. And bring in AUSTRAC to investigate them. If you feel you have been subjected to this purely because you have won, you need to make noise about it. Demand that Punt city is audited. Let it all play out on Twitter. Which you would
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@VapingJoeMisiti
Then he should be well equipped to qualify his statement that the gambling industry is poison. Tag me if you see him do it, I’d be keen to read it.
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Great interview, shows that Aaron has a deep understanding of what’s going on in the game - in particular for us punters. Hope he is appointed permanent CEO.
A big reaction to this interview with interim
@RacingVictoria
CEO, Aaron Morrison, this morning 👇
You can listen back here 👉
@m_felgate
|
#RacingPulse
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Tour of my “office”. 😁
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The industry has to get on the front foot and agree to pull back a lot and not get so in the face of non punters otherwise the govt will stall any new legislation to allow the industry to grow and develop. i.e in play
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The wagering industry has made good progress since the gov last looked at it in 2016 but with the insane amount of advertising and exorbitant inducements around at moment we’ll undo all the progress. The wider community are pissed off as this inquiry shows
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@nickheathcote
You need to put together an open letter detailing why it is going to be a bloodbath and back it up with the facts to support it. And then outline the solutions as to how the industry as a whole can be in a better place in 12 months.
Because all you do at the moment is whinge
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@K16853012
It’s not. It’s a pastime loved by millions of Australians. The industry has world’s best practice when it comes to harm minimisation and it’s at the point now where sometimes blame needs to be put on the individual and not always the industry. And if you think I’m not qualified,
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Looking forward to being on the couch for this. Some great betting minds on the couch so hit us up with some questions! 💪🐺
Introducing a weekly podcast called The Punt. A deep dive into the great game, the characters that make it, and the sports associated with it. Filming tomorrow with Kings Bartholomew and Daniel O'Sullivan.
We are keen to answer questions, drop any below....
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Sums up how broken it all is
@HKJoshyReed9_
@sothegreatgame
Betdeck held my winnings until I provided jp, financial statements, the works so I had given up. And then when moved to Crossbet I was able to withdraw same day yesterday and money in my account. Betdeck were the biggest crooks i’ve ever encountered and no surprise of demise.
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@patbcaruana
They are not funded by gambling addiction. It’s funded by a vibrant hard-working brilliant industry. Which contributes to the extreme prosperity you have in this country. Next time you think to yourself gee I live in a lucky country remember that the wagering/Racing industry
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Wow. Big news.
@camhouweling
Nothing to do with racing. We pay fees on sport too and POC involves both sport & racing-as such we are reducing our market offering on both racing and sport over the next period as our model is not viable. We obviously would prefer this not to be the case but have no alternative
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Punters often moot the idea of a Punters Union, conversations like this are just as good. Its a long watch but it was a really robust convo. The goal is the next time we all chat a major regulator joins the conversation. Share your thoughts please
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@FlogWarrior
you're the definition of a bully and a coward. Big and tough and know it all as long as it will never get you in trouble and no one knows who you are. And yet you support Elon who would detest everything you stand for because you crave the feeling of power bullying gives you. And
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Financial modelling that I have seen, based on the government severely scaling back TV advertising and completely banning social media advertising will cost the Racing codes $300 million annually. That’s made up of $180 million lost in product fees and $120 million lost via POC
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@boostar83
@petajan
yeah, it exposes whats really going on. We will be sweet now. NBBO is coming
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@chapeauxx
@m_felgate
getting sued. They wouldnt win if they tried but I don't need anymore fights than I'm already in.
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@dannynoeljackso
Opinion is fine, but it has to be factual when the national broadcaster who represents everyone is going to promote it. The gambling industry is not a poison.
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