Betfair boss speaks out after police raid, blames betting exchange opponents
Thursday 26th August 2004
Mark Davies, Betfair’s Head of Communications, who is spearheading the Australia campaign, has revealed he was recently the victim of a malicious plot, which he attributes to the betting exchange’s opponents in the country.
Mr Davies said that two Australian Federal Police agents raided his home in a Sydney suburb expecting to find him operating an illegal online casino. He is stationed in Sydney while he lobbies for an Australian gambling license.
'They asked if I was illegally employed and I said: 'No, I'm here as managing director of TSE International (Betfair's owner) and we are lobbying the federal Government,' he told The Australian yesterday.
'It was clearly someone opposed to us operating here, there is no doubt about that,' he added. 'The federal police sat down and asked me a few questions and I just said I was looking after my baby while my wife was out.
'There is no question that they thought they were going to find something they clearly didn't find. I think they walked in and expected to find an online casino in my front room.'
Last week the Australian Racing Board met to discuss a ‘six point strategy’ to eliminate Betting Exchanges through legislation and technology blocks. ARB chairman, Andrew Ramsden, declared that: “Betting exchanges present the greatest threat to Australian racing as we know it in the 170-year history of our sport.”
Mark Davies, Betfair’s Head of Communications, who is spearheading the Australia campaign, has revealed he was recently the victim of a malicious plot, which he attributes to the betting exchange’s opponents in the country.