Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Police now involved in Storm betting plunge

Last night the NRL handed over ma report to police focusing on the Melbourne Storm wooden spoon betting plunge amid revelations punters obtained inside information to net nearly $200,000 in winning bets.

Ray Murrihy, the NSW Racing chief steward, carried out a report into the betting sting months ago, the contents of which were kept secret until they were uncovered yesterday.

In the report, Murrihy found: "privileged information was leaked and used for betting purposes", by punters who had prior knowledge of the Storm salary cap scandal.

One punter won $40,000 from the TAB by backing the Storm at 200/1 less than 24 hours before they lost all their points.

All up, the TAB paid out $70,000 on the Storm wooden spoon option.

Such was the extent of the plunge in three states, Bookmakers and the TAB were forced to suspend betting on the wooden spoon the day before the NRL stripped the club of all premiership points.

Spokesman for the TAB Glenn Munsie confirmed the agency paid out $70,000 on the Storm, but refused to comment when asked if the betting activity should have been passed on to police.

"It's not our job to investigate these things", Munsie said.

"We suspended betting when it was obvious something was happening and we handed over the bet details, which we are required to do".

The TAB and bookmakers in three states paid out a combined $200,000 on the Storm, but the complaints were few because they were saved from bigger payouts on Cronulla or the Cowboys if they had come last.

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