GETTING PLENTY OF ATTENTION...David RoodFebruary 21, 2008Sam...

GETTING PLENTY OF ATTENTION...

David Rood
February 21, 2008
Sam Chisholm: major shareholder

Sam Chisholm: major shareholder


VICTORIANS will soon be able to place racing bets from home using their TVs and remote controllers, in a move that opponents say will turn living rooms into "gambling dens".

A company backed by some prominent names in Australian business has won approval from the Brumby Government's gambling watchdog to launch its a subscription TV betting system.

The company, Two Way, expects to launch the service in April. Tabcorp wagering account holders will be able to bet on thoroughbred, harness and greyhound racing through the Sky Racing Channel, using a Foxtel remote controller.

Anti-gambling advocate Tim Costello said the move would provide easy access and visible exposure to gambling, and would almost certainly claim a new crop of gambling addicts.

"I have long been worried living rooms will become gambling dens," he said. "The clear community sentiment is to regulate access to gambling … because of the families that have been torn apart."

The Salvation Army said it was difficult to see how more ways of gambling benefited the community, and criticised the Government for allowing it. "Just because the technology exists, that doesn't make it either good or necessary," spokesman Brad Halse said.

Two Way entered an agreement last year with gambling company Tabcorp and pay-TV company Foxtel to provide the service, with the company reportedly paying Foxtel $5.6 million for a five-year deal.

Last month the NSW Government referred a decision on whether to approve the betting service to a broader gaming review by the state's Gaming and Racing Department.

The company was established in 1990 and has a market capitalisation of $4 million, with former head of Channel Nine Sam Chisholm one of its biggest shareholders.

Two Way and Tabcorp say the betting service can only be used through a Tabcorp password account, which also needs identification to be created. Users can also set up a PIN number to access Sky Racing.

Two Way chief executive Ben Reichel said he could not see why the new system was controversial, as it was little different to telephone and internet betting, which are available in all states and territories.

"At the moment people can sit at home watching Sky Racing and bet by the phone or internet. All we are doing is providing an alternative channel," Mr Reichel said.

He said the system had extensive consumer safeguards and responsible gambling messages would be shown on screen. The service would also provide information on track conditions, weather, background on jockeys and horses as well as odds.

A spokesman for Tabcorp denied the system was an expansion of gambling, saying it was another method of betting for existing account customers.

Opposition gaming spokesman Michael O'Brien said the Government was pushing gaming into every aspect of Victorian life. "John Brumby wants to make it easier for you to lose your house without leaving it," Mr O'Brien said.

A spokeswoman for Gaming Minister Tony Robinson said the application was approved by the Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation and "meets the appropriate security and integrity requirements".

"(It) offers extended responsible gambling messaging and provides safeguarding of the service from possible use by minors," the spokeswoman said.