A HEADLINE last week was about betting being halted on Australian of the year. My first thought was, people bet on who will be Australian of the year? My second thought was, have they considered getting a life? My third thought was, no one else seems perturbed but me.

THE State Government has been told it should allow bets on politics and reality TV shows such as Australian Idol.

THE sponsorship venture announced yesterday between the Melbourne Racing club and Betfair, which will see Sandown racecourse now be called Betfair Park, is expected to be the first of many more such deals by the world's leading online betting exchange.

The race to lure punters has been thrown wide open by new betting regulations and, as Dan Silkstone reports, debate rages about who will be the winners and the losers.

TWO interstate betting agencies are taking the State Government to court, claiming its ban on them advertising in NSW is unconstitutional.