Sydney’s top bookie says credit betting ban is a backwards step
SYDNEY’S largest bookmaking operator says the government’s attempt to crack down on bookmakers offering a line of credit will be yet another obstacle that on-course bookies have to jump.
David Dwyer, who is also the chairman of the NSW Bookmakers Cooperative, says the move would not clamp down on problem gamblers, but would have an impact on big-dollar punters who have long-established relationships with the bookmakers they bet with.
“On track we have a small number of people who bet in credit and that has mainly to do with not having to carry around large amounts of cash with them,” Dwyer told Horse Betting, while taking bets trackside at Newcastle on Thursday.
“A lot of our bigger professional punters will be effected – they don’t want to carry big lots of cash and we don’t want to carry big lots of cash.”
The halt on credit betting could be introduced as an amendment to the widely-publicised Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill 2016 which was introduced into parliament to restrict online gambling operations.
The bill follows a review of Illegal Offshore Wagering in 2015, which made recommendations on how to tighten the federal laws surrounding online gambling.
The new reforms are set to prohibit betting activities such as in-play sports betting, roulette, online cards and poker.
Dwyer says there should be clear distinctions between what is allowed for online and on-course bookmakers and that both wagering services should not be automatically be lumped together by the legislation.
“It’s a backwards step,” he said.
“Online is different – they are offering deals and advertisements for people to bet… it’s a different ball game to what we are doing.
“Offering someone credit without even knowing them like they do online is no good for the punter or the bookmaker.
“But, on track where we know the person and have a history with the person and it’s to mainly stop carrying large amounts of money around then I can’t see how that’s a problem for anyone.
“If you’ve had an established line of credit with someone for a number of years, why should that change when they haven’t done anything wrong?”
Perhaps in a sign of the current struggles facing on-course bookmakers, Dwyer was just one of two bag men at the track at Newcastle on Thursday when speaking to HorseBetting.com.au – a sign of where the industry may be heading for his like.
Rather than fixing what’s not broken, Dwyer said the government’s real focus should be cracking down on betting advertisements, which he believes are a greater temptation for online punters.
“Protecting problem gamblers should be the goal at all times but I also think the plethora of advertising which is out there in the market place is what they need to worry about more than offering credit,” he said.
“We have been doing credit facilities on track for the last 100 years – it is up to the bookmaker to manage the risk and I think they generally do a pretty good job of that.
“Hopefully the government will understand that on-track bookmaking is different to online bookmaking.”
Dwyer, who has been a bookmaker for over 20 years, remains adamant that the government’s new legislation won’t spell the end for on course bookmakers who will continue to fight in the turbulent betting climate.
“We’ll find a way around it, but I am still hopeful that the government will make the on-course bookies exempt because they really are two different markets,” he said.
“The more punters that go online to punt, the harder it gets for us – but you’ve just got to make the best of a bad situation.”