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March 18 - The Australian wagering group, Tabcorp has decided to offer wagering options on Good Friday, a day where horseracing and sportsbetting usually comes to a standstill, causing outrage among religious and opposition groups in the country.
Tabcorp said that since no Australian racer are scheduled for Good Friday - the Friday before Easter Sunday - it would be offering punters the opportunity to wager on horse races run in Singapore and South Africa, as well as two NRL games.
The Anglican Archbishop of Melbourne, Philip Freier said that Tabcorp's decision was a "terrible desecration".
"Asking the gambling industry to put community values before profits just for one day of the year is not unreasonable," he told the media yesterday. "Good Friday is a day of profound significance for many Australians because its a day we remember Christ's suffering and death on the cross. To turn Good Friday into yet another day with easy access to gambling would be a backward step." It could not be confirmed that Tabcorp responded by saying that Jesus was a 28/1 longshot to come back and put a stop to them.
The Australian Prime Minister, John Brumby also expressed his disapproval and said that Tabcorp should donate a good portion of the profits made on Good Friday to charity.
However, the Managing Director of Tabcorp, Rob Nason defended the company's decision to offer South African horseracing options on Good Friday, saying that Tabcorp was the "last in the market" - meaning that casinos, gambling clubs and other venues already offered gambling options on this day and have been doing so for many years already.
Other gambling companies, including Racing Victoria said that they would not be changing their policies in the wake of Tabcorp's decision. "It would take a significant community push to ask us to race on those two days," said the CE of Racing Victoria Ltd., Rob Hines.
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