How many noticed this little news item during the week? 3 men - 2 are Brits - have been arrested/charged/being charged, with courtsiding, which is illegal in the state of Victoria. Courtsiding is watching a tennis match at the court, and relaying the scores to an outside source, so they can bet in-play on the next score. As television coverage can be up to 10 seconds behind the live event, it lends itself to a nice little earner! However, as we know from experience, betting websites will only take losses for so long before they start to investigate and shut down accounts - in this way they are self regulatory to a degree - so is this just a ridiculous use of a sledge hammer to crack a nut, or a suitable deterrent to others who may try it? The "offence" carries a 10 year custodial sentence as a max. And how long before other sports start to be subjected to legislation, because those grasping bookie chaps had thought of yet another way to sucker us into betting on their terms, then start to panic when an enterprising group of punters find a way of taking advantage? The point I'm clumsily trying to make is that criminalising a method that someone thought of to beat the bookie, is just wrong. We don't follow Australia quite as slavishly as we do the US, but don't bet against it. Oh wait - you can't!
I am at a loss to see what offence is being committed here. Bookies love to make all these ridiculous markets but then whinge like bitches when some entrepeneurs take them for a few quid!
Ridiculous. Surely if you bet in running with horses or in play with football one watches the bloody race/game and bets accordingly. What is so different about tennis. Surely they could bet from their mobile anyhow?
