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UK FIRM TO LAY SINGLES
By Bruce Millington, Racing Post
A Scottish bookmaking firm has taken a stand against Football League restrictions on betting and plans to offer singles on all matches next season.
Crossbet, based in Elgin in the north-east of Scotland, are the first UK companyto openly admit to flaunting the current regulations which prevent anything less than a treble being laid on non-televised matches.
As things stand, the only way punters can avoid the reviled minimum-trebles rule is to bet offshore, place sometimes complicated double-result combinations or seek out a friendly independent firm who will take a single on a nod and a wink basis.
But Colin Ross, the head of Switch firm Crossbet, says he can no longer go on denying customers a service they demand.
Ross said: "We'll lay singles from next season. It is ludicrous that you can get a bet on a snooker match which is obviously bent – and believe me there are some bent snooker matches – but not on Liverpool v Manchester United just because it is not on television.
"Folk want to bet on anything to do with football – the game accounts for 15 per cent of our business and growing – and that includes singles. Why the hell shouldn't they be allowed to?”
Crossbet could face opposition to their punter-friendly plans from the larger bookmaking firms, who have constantly opposed plans for the relaxation of the trebles-only rule despite the fact that Football Fixtures, the organisation responsible for licensing bookmakers on behalf of the Premier League, Football League and Scottish Leagues, have made it clear they are happy to discuss the possibility of enabling punters to have singles regardless of whether the match in question is live on TV.
But Crossbet intend to offer singles as part of their planned expansion into a major force in Scottish football bookmaking.
Ross added: "We are looking at producing a new coupon which will provide a service not available elsewhere in Scotland – for example there would be a 12-match list featuring odds-on teams which would offer a 15 per cent bonus for getting six out of six selections up. We need at least 60 outlets across the country to make it viable."
By Bruce Millington, Racing Post
A Scottish bookmaking firm has taken a stand against Football League restrictions on betting and plans to offer singles on all matches next season.
Crossbet, based in Elgin in the north-east of Scotland, are the first UK companyto openly admit to flaunting the current regulations which prevent anything less than a treble being laid on non-televised matches.
As things stand, the only way punters can avoid the reviled minimum-trebles rule is to bet offshore, place sometimes complicated double-result combinations or seek out a friendly independent firm who will take a single on a nod and a wink basis.
But Colin Ross, the head of Switch firm Crossbet, says he can no longer go on denying customers a service they demand.
Ross said: "We'll lay singles from next season. It is ludicrous that you can get a bet on a snooker match which is obviously bent – and believe me there are some bent snooker matches – but not on Liverpool v Manchester United just because it is not on television.
"Folk want to bet on anything to do with football – the game accounts for 15 per cent of our business and growing – and that includes singles. Why the hell shouldn't they be allowed to?”
Crossbet could face opposition to their punter-friendly plans from the larger bookmaking firms, who have constantly opposed plans for the relaxation of the trebles-only rule despite the fact that Football Fixtures, the organisation responsible for licensing bookmakers on behalf of the Premier League, Football League and Scottish Leagues, have made it clear they are happy to discuss the possibility of enabling punters to have singles regardless of whether the match in question is live on TV.
But Crossbet intend to offer singles as part of their planned expansion into a major force in Scottish football bookmaking.
Ross added: "We are looking at producing a new coupon which will provide a service not available elsewhere in Scotland – for example there would be a 12-match list featuring odds-on teams which would offer a 15 per cent bonus for getting six out of six selections up. We need at least 60 outlets across the country to make it viable."
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