The global gambling company, Betfair, could be awarded a license to operate online betting in NSW following a meeting with Premier Morris Iemma’s Gaming and Racing Minister and Betfair, according to an exclusive report from the SMH.com.au
Betfair's only success in Australia to this point is in Tasmania so a license to operate in NSW could be extremely lucrative for the agency, says SMH.
Iemma's office refused to comment to SMH yesterday when asked if the half-owner of Betfair, James Packer's PBL, or associates on its behalf had lobbied the Premier to have Betfair licensed in NSW. However the minister, Graham West, reportedly told a budget estimates hearing that Iemma instructed him to "tackle the issue".
The Iemma Government has already been accused of an "addiction" to funding services with gambling revenue, according to SMH, and is already identifying the millions of dollars it could gather through profits to fund hospitals and schools.
