Centrebet to refund all Melbourne Storm bids

MEDIA RELEASE
APRIL 22, 2010

Centrebet to refund all Melbourne Storm premiership bets in 2010!

Leading bookmaker Centrebet will refund all wagers made on the Melbourne Storm to win the 2010 premiership in the wake of the massive $1.7 million salary cap scandal that has flattened the NRL premiers!

Centrebet media chief Neil Evans said this was the “only course of action” considering the depth and shock of Melbourne’s financial breaches, and the tough penalties handed out by the NRL, including the stripping of the club’s 2007 and 2009 premierships, and fines totalling $1.6 million! On top of that the club will play for no points in 2010!

“The punters have to be looked after here because this is reportedly an act of long-term and concerted deception, and has repercussions the likes of which rugby league has never seen in this country,” Evans said. “We will be refunding all monies bet on Melbourne to win the competition in 2010, totalling nearly $40,000.00, as a starting point!”

“We had been enjoying record turnover on the NRL, and we have to do everything possible to maintain the rage around a game that has taken a huge ethical hit! Unfortunately, it is systematically impossible to go back to previous Storm premiership years and re-result betting books!”

Evans said Centrebet had suspended its wooden spoon betting a couple of weeks back after learning the Melbourne Storm investigation could turn into a very serious matter. “At that stage, we held nearly $20,000.00, and obviously nearly all of that was on other clubs in the competition,” he said.

“Hundreds of thousands of dollars had been bet already in 2010. Melbourne was a $5.50 second favourite on Centrebet behind the Dragons ($5.00) before the market was suspended! Nearly $200,000.00 had been wagered so far across the premiership book!

Even this week, the Storm had been heavily backed from $1.32 into $1.28 to beat the NZ Warriors this weekend, with nearly $40,000.00 invested!

Late this afternoon, Centrebet re-posted its 2010 premiership market, with the Dragons firming to $4.50 ahead of Manly ($6.50), Parramatta ($7.00), Wests Tigers ($7.50), Gold Coast ($10.00), Penrith ($10.00), Bulldogs ($11.00) and Souths ($15.00)!

www.centrebet.com RUGBY LEAGUE

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