endless media coverage drives gambling addiction

Within the near-decade since I wrote about why it is best to passionately hate the Melbourne Cup and the horseracing trade extra typically, not one of the issues I described again then have gone away. The racing trade nonetheless kills its staff — ten jockeys have died since 2014. Horseracing nonetheless slaughters horses — two died on the Melbourne Cup instantly after I wrote the unique piece, one other 4 have died at cups since then, and the variety of horses killed on racetracks nationally in 2022-23 hit a brand new document of 168.

The trade remains to be infested with organised crime and cash laundering — most likely extra so now given casinos have been pressured to rein of their cash laundering practices. Guardian Australia revealed final month that anti-money laundering legal guidelines don’t cowl racehorse funding, a key space of cash laundering by criminals. Even media advocates for the trade have warned that racing should take pressing steps to stop organised crime from extending its position inside it.

And regardless of trade claims about how in style racing is, it’s nonetheless depending on huge handouts from state governments, which give tens of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} to the trade on the idea of alleged, although by no means demonstrated, advantages to tourism.