Wednesday, June 11, 2003
BETFAIR DISMISSES SCAREMONGERING
(London, 11/06/2003) Betfair today issued a response to suggestions that its recently-signed Memorandum of Understanding with the Jockey Club constituted a threat to innocent punters. It underlined that those suggestions misinterpreted the Jockey Club's current position as regards their ability to deal with potential breaches in the rules of racing. It also emphasized that the way the MOU has been characterized is a complete misrepresentation, the motives for which can only be guessed at. The MOU seeks to ensure that the innocent punter is always protected and cannot become the subject of a witch-hunt. It is only where there is overwhelming cause to suspect a breach of the rules of racing that any name will ever be released.
It has been suggested since the publication of the MOU that where there is sufficient evidence of malpractice, the law, in the shape of the police or the judiciary, is in place to track down the miscreants. Unfortunately, every observer of racing is well aware that this is not the case: the rules of racing can be breached without a criminal offence having taken place, and the Jockey Club has all too often found its hands tied, sometimes very publicly, by its inability to persuade a statutory body to launch a criminal investigation. The MOU is designed to help them address that.
In addition, the drafting of the MOU will ensure that the Jockey Club will not be given the name behind any bet without having first fully satisfied its own Security and Investigations Committee and Betfair that the bet in question is so suspicious that a breach of the rules of racing is highly likely to have occurred. The MOU only allows the Jockey Club to request information and does not bind Betfair to give it.
Suggestions that Betfair would allow a witch-hunt of its customers are simple scaremongering of innocent users, whose enjoyment of racing in a crime-free, corruption-free betting environment the MOU is precisely designed to protect.
Mark Davies, Betfair's Director of Communications, reiterated that the MOU is a huge positive both for the industry and for punters. He said, "The MOU between Betfair and the Jockey Club is an initiative that is long overdue in racing, and everyone with racing's interests at heart should be fully in support of it. Suggestions that the issues addressed by this agreement could instead be dealt with by the Jockey Club producing a list of licensees they wish to see prevented from betting fails to understand the essence of the problem - namely, that the Jockey Club is not able to identify perpetrators of corruption. It is paying lip-service to the ideal of fighting corruption in sport, and I would question the motives of anyone who suggests otherwise."
The government has made clear that the aims of the MOU will be enshrined in the powers of the Gambling Commission, when that body comes into being - but that may not be before 2005. Betfair believes that to wait for that to happen would be two more wasted years.
BETDAQ MAINTAINS FIRM STANCE ON PRIVACY
No Issue with supplying non-personal information to Jockey Club on Nimello
Following speculation about the running of Nimello at Salisbury yesterday, leading betting exchange BETDAQ has passed over details on the betting patterns involved in this race to the Jockey Club. While this information would normally be supplied in confidence, BETDAQ feels it is worth making public in light of the current focus on integrity and betting exchanges.
A total of just under £60,000 was matched on the race, making it the 10th busiest of yesterday's 13 races from Salisbury and Redcar. A total of 65 bets were struck on Nimello, ranging in price from a low of 8.40 at 0901hrs to a high of 37.0 at 1443hrs. The largest single beneficiary from bets on the horse in question cleared just over £250 on the race, less two per cent commission. This represents less than 0.4 per cent of that individual's stakes in the last month. BETDAQ did not offer a place market on this particular race.
"We will not be found wanting in support of the Jockey Club's attempts to maintain the highest standards of integrity," said BETDAQ's Rob Hartnett.
"If the Jockey Club believes there is evidence to suggest that any of our customers is guilty of misconduct, and they are satisfied to pursue their suspicions through the force of the law, then we will walk shoulder to shoulder with them to the proper authorities."
"Until that point however, we will not countenance handing over the personal details of all or any of our individual customers who were involved in this or any other race. They have a right to privacy under the law of the land and we support them in that right." "If our stance causes discomfort at the Jockey Club, then we will work with them to explore other levels of cooperation, albeit ones that do not ride roughshod over individual freedoms."
"Since yesterday's announcement of our stance in protection of our customers right to privacy, we have been inundated with messages of support from ordinary decent individuals. They share our discomfort over yesterday's announcement"
LATEST BHB NEWS
NEW RACECOURSES
The Board today deferred decisions on new racecourse applications from Great Leighs, Newbury Racecourse and Northern Racing (for Sedgefield racecourse).
BHB is in ongoing discussion with Great Leighs, from whom the Board wished to receive further information.
Newbury Racecourse and Northern Racing have been advised by BHB that recommendations on their proposals have been deferred until each party is able to submit evidence of unconditional planning approval.
48-HOUR DECLARATIONS
The Board today approved the recommendation of the Racing Review Committee that 48-hour declarations should be extended, with effect from 2004, to all Flat Heritage Handicaps and all Group Races and major Jumping Handicaps.
The Board also requested that representatives of racecourses, trainers and owners set up a sub-group to consider the feasibility of further expansion of 48-hour declarations. This sub-group should complete its report by the end of September 2003 for consideration by the Board at its October meeting.
TIPPERARY ABANDONED TOMORROW
Following a 7.30am course inspection this morning, the evening fixture
scheduled for Tipperary on Thursday, 12th June, 2003 has been cancelled due
to waterlogging.
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