Sportsbet Blog

In an Australian cricket first, leading online bookmaker sportsbet has declared the 2010/11 Ashes Series over and has paid out all bets totaling more than $400,000 on England to not only retain the Ashes, but to win the series after Day One of the Third Test in Perth.

The unprecedented move sees punters collect their winnings with an incredible four days of play left in the Perth Test – and with the Melbourne and Sydney Tests to come.

“Unfortunately for Australian cricket fans the writing is on the wall and we can’t see the Aussies coming back from here,” said sportsbet’s Chief Executive Matthew Tripp.

“We’d be paying out soon enough anyway so punters may as well have their cash now in time for Christmas.

“Cricket punters are normally very patriotic to the Aussies but they also know a good thing when they see it and it seems everyone has backed England to win this series.

“As big fans of our national side we’d love to get this one wrong but we can’t see any hope of them turning it around.”

Just before the First Test in Brisbane, one punter had $50,000 on England to win the series at $3, meaning he has collected $150,000 before the halfway mark of the series.

With their domination so far this summer, England is now paying just $1.30 to win the Ashes. $5.25 is on offer on a drawn series, while Australia has blown out to $8.50 to win the series.

“As with all sportsbet early payouts and refunds, there is no requirement for punters to reinvest their winnings, it’s their money and they can do as they please with it,” said Tripp.

“The bottom line is, why risk betting anywhere else when sportsbet regularly pays out early on big events?”

Sportsbet is generating a reputation for paying out early on big events. In October the bookie paid out more than $250,000 early on So You Think to win the Cox Plate, five days before the race.

However, the bookmaker does not always get it right. Earlier this year, sportsbet paid out more than $150,000 in bets on Richmond for the AFL Wooden Spoon after just four rounds. A mid-season revival saw the Tigers finish two wins clear of West Coast at the bottom of the ladder.

The payout applies to all single wagers placed on England to win the 2010/11 Ashes Series before 11.30am AEDT on Friday, 17 December 2010.

Market courtesy of sportsbet

2010/11 Ashes Series
$1.30 England (in from $3.20 in early market)
$5.25 Drawn Series (in from $5.50)
$8.50 Australia (out from $1.73)

Online bookmaker Sportsbet has paid out on Richmond to collect the wooden spoon after only four rounds.

With 18 rounds to go in the 2010 AFL Premiership Season, the bookie has paid out more than $100,000 to punters who backed Richmond to finish on the bottom of the ladder.
“Unfortunately for Richmond fans we think we’ll be paying out on the Tigers at the end of the season, so our punters may as well collect their cash now,” said Sportsbet’s Haydn Lane.
“There are 18 rounds to go so it’s a definite gamble.”
Richmond, who were paying as much as $5 in early Wooden Spoon markets, are now $1.25 favourites to take home the dreaded prize.

The payout applies to all bets placed before 12noon Monday 19th April.

Sportsbet is also offering odds of $5 on Richmond not winning a game this season, although one big punter has faith and has placed $10,000 at $1.16 on the Tigers winning at least one match this season.

Sportsbet is generating a reputation for paying out early on big sporting competitions. In November last year, the bookie paid out early on Tiger Woods to win the Australian Masters after two rounds when he was three strokes ahead. Woods faltered in the third round to share the lead with two others, before he shot clear on the final day to win the tournament.

Sportsbet offer up to $200 worth of free bets for making an account with them, checkout their website here for more information on how to get the free bets.

Updated Wooden Spoon Market
$1.25 Richmond
$7 North Melbourne
$12 Adelaide
$17 Melbourne
$17 West Coast
$26 Essendon
$41 Port Adelaide

Leading online bookmaker Sportsbet will refund all bets placed on the outright winner of the 2010 US Masters if Tiger Woods wins.
“It’s fair to say Tiger’s preparation hasn’t been ideal and we’re happy to take him on this week, so much so that we’re prepared to refund bets on everyone else in the field if Tiger wins,” said Sportsbet’s Haydn Lane.

“Taking a stance against Tiger is normally folly for a bookmaker, but we see this as our chance to finally get one back on him.”
Sportsbet is also offering the best price available on Tiger to win the Masters, currently at $6, with some other bookmakers posting as little as $4 on a Tiger victory.
In novelty markets, Sportsbet is offering $3 on Tiger to score 16 or more birdies at Augusta, $15 on him leading from start to finish, and $41 on him re-entering the clinic during the tournament.

In November last year, Sportsbet paid out early on Tiger Woods to win the Australian Masters after two rounds when he was three strokes ahead. Woods faltered in the third round to share the lead with two others, before he shot clear on the final day to win the tournament.

If you haven’t already got a Sportsbet account now is the best time to signup. You get the Tiger refund promo and up to $200 in free bets. See the Sportsbet site for more info on this great offer and to place your 2010 US Masters bets.

All markets and odds courtesy of Sportsbet
2010 US Masters Outright Winner
$6           Tiger Woods
$14         Phil Mickleson
$15         Ernie Els
$17         Padraig Harrington
$23         Retief Goosen
$23         Lee Westwood
$26         Steve Stricker
$31         Paul Casey
$34         Jim Furyk
$34         Camilo Villegas
$34         Ian Poulter
$34         Anthony Kim
—————————
Australians
$41         Geoff Ogilvy
$71         Robert Allenby
$81         Adam Scott
$201       John Senden
$251       Mark Leishman
$351       Nathan Green

TIGER SPECIALS
Will Tiger Woods make the cut at Augusta?
$1.15     Yes, he will make the cut
$5.25     No, he will not make the cut

Where will Tiger finish at Augusta?
$1.80     First to fifth
$4.50     Sixth to 10th
$7           11th to 20th
$3.75     21st of worse
$41         Back at the clinic during the tournament

Front-running Tiger
$15         Tiger to lead after each round and win the tournament

Tiger’s Round 1 score at Augusta
$19         64 or less
$15         65-66
$4.80     67-68
$3.50     69-70
$3.75     71-72
$4.25     73-74
$4.50     75 or more

Tiger Woods vs The Field
$6           Tiger Woods
$1.11     The Field

How many Birdies will Tiger hole at Augusta?
$17         0-6
$6.50     7-9
$3.50     10-12
$2.85     13-15
$3           16 or more

To see the full US Masters betting options and latest odds checkout the Sportsbet website.

Ireland’s largest bookmaker Paddy Power who are also owners of Australia’s Sportsbet made a massive decision on the weekend to pay all bets at the halfway mark of the US PGA for Tiger Woods to win the tournament. Woods was 4 shots in the lead at the time.

It can be a good business move as it increases the likelihood of punters betting their early winnings on other big events like round 1 of the English Premier League that started on the weekend. It also gives Paddy Power alot of good publicity with word going all around the world including right here on this blog in Australia!

Paddy Power said “Tiger is a dead certanty he just doesn’t lose from the front.”
“It’s cost us an arm and a leg but the way we see it is that we’ll be paying it out on Sunday night anyway so his backers may as well get their cash now and enjoy the rest of the weekend on us!”

This all backfired for Paddy Power who didn’t take into account that Tiger Woods would actually fall in a heap on the last day. He gave up a massive 4 stroke lead to South Korea’s Y.E. Yang breaking Tigers 36 game winning streak when at least holding a share of the lead going into the final days play.

It cost Paddy Power AU$2.5 Million in payouts.
“It takes a special kind of dimwit to turn what should have been our best-ever golf result into our worst,” Paddy Power said. “Paddy Power punters are obviously the big winners here and have made like bandits getting paid out on Tiger as a winner.”

This result was definitely one for the little guy.

In Australia, Sportsbet have only just last week paid out early on Daniel Rich being the AFL NAB Rising Star this year which I wrote about last week. Who knows what could happen with this market.

It’s worth sticking with bookies like Sportsbet that do early payouts because one day like what happened on the weekend the early payout will actually lose. Sportsbet also give new punters a $50 free bet to get hang of their website just for making a new account. They also will double your first deposit up to $200. Checkout their site to make a new account.