The last 10 days of August and the start of September have seen the greatest coverage of these topics ever in differing media.
Greater renewed interest was probably generated by the launch of ‘BlackType’ a new online bookmaker who hope to trade in a traditional way, i.e. make a proper book, lay a decent bet and not offer silly loss leading promotions. If successful, this is to be welcomed as the present decade has been a nightmare for betting ethics.
The modern corporate bookmakers trading online and many of them offline have redefined the word gambling, i.e. gambling is only available to those who lose and those with convenience accounts (say no more).
A number of journalists and others have put their heads above the parapet, some not for the first time. Sports punters can only be grateful for their efforts and also to the tiny number of journalists who are working in the background for change (you know who you are [thanks]; but no thanks to those who take the bookie dollar and keep quiet as you know who you are as well – getting your bets on are you)? We all gamble to win, but few of us ever do; a reasonable estimate is fewer than 2%. But, this tiny figure has still become too many for the accountants that now masquerade as bookmakers. They are addressing this in Australia as their authorities and regulators understand ethics and to be fair a dynamic sports gambling market that benefits all parties.
The following are links to the coverage:
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/aug/25/betting-black-type-bet-?CMP=share_btn_tw
https://www.theirishfield.ie/rory-delargy-why-cant-minimum-bet-limits-work-here-222196/
Begins at 1:03:25.
https://rv.racing.com/news/2016-09-01/framework-for-minimum-bet-limit-announced
https://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/biggest-danger-to-the-popularity-of-betting/
https://www.theirishfield.ie/rory-delargy-fair-betting-movement-gathers-momentum-223306/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07rkh2t
Begins at 15:03.
Other coverage from a few weeks ago included:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07kld9t
Begins at 15:28.
https://www.racinguk.com/video/watch/simon-rowlands-on-betting-restrictions
This amounts to extensive coverage, but there has not been any comments of significance from bookmakers, trade organisations or the Gambling Commission. Life has taught me that when people refuse to communicate they either have something to hide or are embarrassed.
It is not really for me to say why all the companies and organisations won’t come out of their bunkers to defend their ethics, but I do hope constructive negotiations can lead to change before legislation has to be used.
Jimmy Justice