Vlasnik
Kennel Legend
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Some of Australia's largest bookmakers are resigned to having no active integrity agreement with the NRL within days as chief executive Todd Greenberg is set to be dragged into urgent talks over how much the game charges for betting on its matches.
Two months after the start of the season, the NRL is still yet to formalise a long term agreement with the country's major oddsmakers over its product fee amidst suggestions the game's new pricing structure could take an extra $10 million annually from wagering coffers.
Gambling in footy.
But after rolling over previous agreements with short-term one-month extensions in both March and April, the NRL's increasingly strained relationship with bookmakers is set for a showdown this week, as League Central refuses to back down on its product-fee position.
The latest accord will expire on Tuesday and Fairfax Media understands bookmakers have become so frustrated with the NRL's stance that Greenberg is set to be personally asked to meet with Australia's wagering chiefs to help mediate the row.
There are also suggestions some bookmakers will seek legal advice if the NRL forges ahead with its proposed pricing structure on Tuesday, so big is the chasm between the parties, who have made little to no progress despite months of negotiations.
Apart from the NRL's insistence that it levies bookmakers the greater of three per cent on turnover or 20 per cent of gross revenue on each individual bet type that has four or more options, such as first tryscorer markets, bookmakers are revolting against plans to backdate the charges to March 1.
RELATED ARTICLE
NRL in $10 million bookies battle
Given the raft of upset results over the first two months of the season, it could see the NRL pocket a windfall estimated to be several million dollars above fees they've collected under the terms of temporary agreements.
The higher taxes bookmakers could be forced to pay has already prompted some to hint they will drastically shave back their promotion of NRL markets, which would ultimately cut the amount of revenue the code could generate from the growth of sports betting.
Some of the country's racing jurisdictions, which almost exclusively derive their income from gambling, charge betting taxes at a lower rate than those proposed by the NRL, which could watch bookmakers pump millions into more liberally marketing markets on AFL and rugby union.
The longtime fee on standard bet types such as head-to-head and line-betting has traditionally been 1.2 per cent of turnover.
One way for bookmakers to skirt having to fork out the extra fees for bet types with four or more winning options would be to realign how they offer popular markets, such as margin betting.
Instead of offering a margin option with five winning options - including 1-12 and 13+ for both teams alongside a draw - bookmakers have floated the prospect of cutting it back to just three winning options, thus foregoing the NRL's inflated fees for markets with four or more options.
There is also a sense within NRL headquarters that the hardline stance with the new integrity accords is a sign the game is comfortable distancing itself from gambling, even if it results in the game not maximising its revenue from the sector.
The Tim Simona scandal and a long-running investigation into match fixing in the code, which ultimately led to no charges, triggered a raft of negative publicity for rugby league.
The NRL has already banned all wagering sponsorship and signage from its new four-team women's competition, which is due to kick off later this year.
A recent Roy Morgan poll said 7.6 per cent of money bet in Australia is on NRL and State of Origin, a figure which outstrips AFL's (6.8 per cent) slice of the wagering pie.
Scotty
8 HOURS AGO
I am starting to think the ban on tobacco advertising has backfired.
Gambling advertising is so flooded on screen, on the grounds, on the players shirts etc that we are being force-fed. At least tobacco ads were funny...
Brenda Loots
9 HOURS AGO
"no active integrity" with gambling outfits? Sounds about right...
By Adam Pengilly
29 April 2018 — 10:00pm
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/nr...nberg-ready-to-intervene-20180429-p4zcai.html
Two months after the start of the season, the NRL is still yet to formalise a long term agreement with the country's major oddsmakers over its product fee amidst suggestions the game's new pricing structure could take an extra $10 million annually from wagering coffers.
Gambling in footy.
But after rolling over previous agreements with short-term one-month extensions in both March and April, the NRL's increasingly strained relationship with bookmakers is set for a showdown this week, as League Central refuses to back down on its product-fee position.
The latest accord will expire on Tuesday and Fairfax Media understands bookmakers have become so frustrated with the NRL's stance that Greenberg is set to be personally asked to meet with Australia's wagering chiefs to help mediate the row.
There are also suggestions some bookmakers will seek legal advice if the NRL forges ahead with its proposed pricing structure on Tuesday, so big is the chasm between the parties, who have made little to no progress despite months of negotiations.
Apart from the NRL's insistence that it levies bookmakers the greater of three per cent on turnover or 20 per cent of gross revenue on each individual bet type that has four or more options, such as first tryscorer markets, bookmakers are revolting against plans to backdate the charges to March 1.
RELATED ARTICLE
NRL in $10 million bookies battle
Given the raft of upset results over the first two months of the season, it could see the NRL pocket a windfall estimated to be several million dollars above fees they've collected under the terms of temporary agreements.
The higher taxes bookmakers could be forced to pay has already prompted some to hint they will drastically shave back their promotion of NRL markets, which would ultimately cut the amount of revenue the code could generate from the growth of sports betting.
Some of the country's racing jurisdictions, which almost exclusively derive their income from gambling, charge betting taxes at a lower rate than those proposed by the NRL, which could watch bookmakers pump millions into more liberally marketing markets on AFL and rugby union.
The longtime fee on standard bet types such as head-to-head and line-betting has traditionally been 1.2 per cent of turnover.
One way for bookmakers to skirt having to fork out the extra fees for bet types with four or more winning options would be to realign how they offer popular markets, such as margin betting.
Instead of offering a margin option with five winning options - including 1-12 and 13+ for both teams alongside a draw - bookmakers have floated the prospect of cutting it back to just three winning options, thus foregoing the NRL's inflated fees for markets with four or more options.
There is also a sense within NRL headquarters that the hardline stance with the new integrity accords is a sign the game is comfortable distancing itself from gambling, even if it results in the game not maximising its revenue from the sector.
The Tim Simona scandal and a long-running investigation into match fixing in the code, which ultimately led to no charges, triggered a raft of negative publicity for rugby league.
The NRL has already banned all wagering sponsorship and signage from its new four-team women's competition, which is due to kick off later this year.
A recent Roy Morgan poll said 7.6 per cent of money bet in Australia is on NRL and State of Origin, a figure which outstrips AFL's (6.8 per cent) slice of the wagering pie.
Scotty
8 HOURS AGO
I am starting to think the ban on tobacco advertising has backfired.
Gambling advertising is so flooded on screen, on the grounds, on the players shirts etc that we are being force-fed. At least tobacco ads were funny...
Brenda Loots
9 HOURS AGO
"no active integrity" with gambling outfits? Sounds about right...
By Adam Pengilly
29 April 2018 — 10:00pm
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/nr...nberg-ready-to-intervene-20180429-p4zcai.html