MELBOURNE RACING CLUB'S BETFAIR DEAL IS UNFAIR

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The Victorian Off Course Agents Association (VOCAA) wish to express its disappointment with the announcement this week of a sponsorship deal between Betfair and the Melbourne Racing Club.

As proprietors of Victoria’s network of local TAB Agencies VOCAA feels that the decades of effort in supporting all codes of Wagering and their participating clubs has been undermined by this self centered decision. Its ninety four member agents and their hundreds of staff fear their small businesses may eventually be lost through harmful disunity within the racing industry.

The Victorian Racing Industry rightfully can boast that it provides the best racing product in Australia and that position is, in no small part, due to the strength of the joint venture between the racing industry and Tabcorp.
Comments attributed to Melbourne Racing Club CEO Warran Brown saying, “We don’t see Betfair as being in opposition to Tabcorp” are naive and show a distinct lack of understanding of the industry.

VOCAA acknowledges the rights of an individual racing club to obtain sponsorships outside the parameters of the joint venture. VOCAA does however question the wisdom of potentially jeopardising the far greater benefits of the massive levels of funding that is provided constantly through Tabcorp. Currently Tabcorp contributes more than one hundred times the amount of funding to race clubs than all corporate bookmakers combined.

VOCAA sees that a racing industry without a major all round contributor such as Tabcorp, if that was to happen would mean the loss of the vital agency network that connects the race clubs with their bread and butter clients.

Any introduction of new funding partners must be on an equal basis to promote true and fair competition. That is the level of takeout from betting turnover to be contributed to the racing industry by Tabcorp, Corporate Bookmakers and Betting Exchanges must be consistent for all parties.
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