In a letter sent to the Tasmanian Premier last month but released yesterday, the Former British Horseracing Board Chairman warned the Tasmanian Government against the Betfair deal.
Savill said the betting exchanges eroded margins of the racing industry in Great Britain and now there is a reason for Betfair to target Tasmania.
“It\’s another case of small state, it appears to me, taking advantage of sums of money being offered to it to help it gain a national advantage by pirating and plundering other peoples\’ racing,” he said.
Savill said the betting exchanges pay only 0.15 per cent of their turnover to British racing, costing the industry about 25 million pounds a year, and they would cost Australia, which receives a higher percentage of betting turnover from bookmakers, much more.
Betfair spokesman Andrew Twaits dismissed the criticism.
“Now we pay exactly the same percentage of punter loss to the industry in the UK as do the other bookies and the tote and it\’s interesting when he says that 30 per cent of turnover is shifted to the betting exchanges. How can that be right when the local tote in the UK has recorded record profits since we\’ve been in existence,” he said.
The Tasmanian Premier Paul Lennon is expected to make his announcement on the long-awaited decision on Betfair tomorrow. Then to grant a license to the betting exchange, the legislation will require the support of at least three of the Independent MLCs.
While most of Tasmania\’s Independent Upper House Members have indicated they are willing to wait for more information before they make a decision, Mersey MLC Norma Jamieson has expressed her opposition to the licensing of Betfair.
Mrs Jamieson said she would not be voting in favour of it because there were already enough betting outlets in Tasmania.
“I also have a problem with the philosophy of betting to lose and it would take a fair bit to sway me,” she said.
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