• What is tote betting?
  • 'Tote' is an abbreviation for 'totalisator' and refers to the method of betting by which a pool of individual bets on a market is collected and divided amongst those who win. Also referred to as pari-mutuel betting, it is a traditional method of punting on all codes of racing in Australia.
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  • Who is TOTE Tasmania?
  • TOTE Tasmania is the licensed totalisator in Tasmania. TOTE Tasmania is a participant of the SuperTAB pool.
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  • What is the Tote at Betfair?
  • Betfair and TOTE Tasmania have entered into an agreement which enables Betfair punters to place bets with TOTE Tasmania from their Australian wallets. This will provide customers with the opportunity to bet on both the betting exchange and the tote on win and place markets on Australian thoroughbred, harness and greyhound racing. Furthermore, it will enable customers to bet on markets previously unavailable at Betfair, including 'exotics'.
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  • What is an exotic?
  • Exotics refer to types of bets that require the punter to pick the finishing position of more than one participant, or more than one event. An explanation of the exotic bet types available to punters at the tote at Betfair is following.
  • Quinella: A bet on the first and second placegetters in a race in any order.
    Exacta: A bet on the first and second placegetters in a race, in exact finishing order.
    Trifecta: A bet on the first, second and third placegetters in a race in exact finishing order.
    Doubles: On selected meetings, groups of two races are nominated. A double bet requires you to select the winner of both the nominated races.
    Quadrella (or 'quaddie'): On selected meetings, a group of four races is nominated. A quadrella bet requires you to select the winner of all four nominated races.
  • Exotic bets can include a number of selections in each position. The more selections you take in each position increases the number of combinations involved in each bet, and increases the total cost of your bet. In Betfair tote betting, each combination is called a 'line'.
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  • How do I place a tote bet at Betfair?
  • Select the sport (or type/code of racing) you wish to bet on using the sports menu on the left of the sports homepage, and navigate to the AUS markets within the sport. Select the 'Tote' link within this menu, and a screen showing the first race available for tote betting will appear. This screen can be used to navigate to any other tote market for the day: the left-hand dropdown list above the market view enables you to nominate any available meeting; the right-hand dropdown list allows you to select a race and bet type.
  • To view a demonstration on how to find a market, place a win and/or place bet, or place an exotic bet, click here.
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  • Is Tote betting available to Betfair customers over the phone?
  • Initially, tote betting will only be available online. Moving forward, we plan to also offer it via our telephone betting service.
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  • To place a tote bet on Betfair, do I have to be a Tote customer, a Betfair customer, or both?
  • As you are betting with TOTE Tasmania using your Australian Betfair wallet, you simply have to be a Betfair customer (and completed the verification process) to place a bet on the tote at Betfair. You will be subject to TOTE Tasmania's terms and conditions for any bets placed on the tote at Betfair.
  • As you are required to be a Betfair customer to place a tote bet you will be subject to Betfair's KYC requirements.
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  • Does the agreement allow Tote Tasmania to offer Betfair markets on its site?
  • No. The agreement relates solely to Betfair acting as the Tote's agent for the purpose of helping to distribute the Tote's products.
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  • Which markets will we offer tote betting on?
  • We will offer tote betting on Australian horseracing, harness and greyhounds markets.
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  • When will I know what odds I have received for my bet, and my potential winnings?
  • As winnings on tote betting are determined by dividing the entire pool invested amongst those who win, we are unable to provide exact odds prior to the off, or a market being suspended. However, for your benefit we will provide indicative odds in all tote markets, with the exception of quadrella betting.
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  • What is the minimum stake for a tote bet?
  • The minimum stake for a tote bet is 50c.
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  • Do I receive the Tote Tasmania (SuperTAB) dividends when placing a tote bet at Betfair?
  • Yes. The dividends you receive will be the same as those that would have been received had the bet been placed directly with Tote Tasmania or any of the other SuperTAB operators.
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  • What is the maximum stake for a tote bet?
  • The maximum investment allowed on a tote bet is $32,000.
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  • Who am I betting against on the tote at Betfair?
  • When you place a tote bet you are betting with Tote Tasmania and your investment becomes part of a SuperTAB pool, just as it would over the counter or through Tote Tasmania's online betting site. You are not matching bets with other customers or a Betfair counterparty.
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  • Can I lay a bet on the tote at Betfair?
  • As you are not placing a bet on the Betfair exchange when you place a tote bet, but rather betting with TOTE Tasmania into the SuperTAB totalisator pools, you cannot place lay bets. However, you can place a lay (or back) bet through the Betfair exchange using the same Australian wallet.
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  • How are the bets being settled and when?
  • All winning bets will be settled by TOTE Tasmania following the reconciliation process of the SuperTAB pools has taken place after each race. Betfair will return winnings to your Betfair Australian wallet following the completion of this process.
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  • Does Betfair see what is happening with tote bets?
  • The only role Betfair plays in the tote betting process is ensuring you have sufficient funds in your Australian wallet to cover the liability of your bet(s) and returning any winnings to your Australian wallet. The remainder of the process is administrated by TOTE Tasmania.
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  • What changes will I see in market view?
  • You will only see a difference in market view if you navigate to a particular market using the 'Tote' link in the sports market, as detailed above. Current exchange back and lay prices will still be visible in the tote win and place market view.
  • Exchange betting market views will remain unchanged.
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  • Do I pay commission on tote bets?
  • As all bets on tote markets are administrated by TOTE Tasmania, pools and winnings are unaffected by Betfair. Therefore, Betfair takes no commission on winning bets on the tote at Betfair. A deduction on stakes applies as per Tote Tasmania's Rules and Regulations (click here to view).
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  • Will bets placed on Tote products affect commission paid on exchange bets?
  • No. Bets placed on Tote products will be quarantined from a commission perspective. That is, you will not pay commission on winning Tote bets but any losing Tote bets will not be used to offset winning bets on corresponding exchange markets.
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  • Will bets placed on Tote products accrue Betfair Points?
  • Yes. For the equivalent of every £1 wagered in Tote bets, 1 Betfair point will be accrued.
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  • Can I cancel or amend my tote bet?
  • It is not possible to cancel a bet you have placed on the tote at Betfair. This is in line with SuperTAB's online betting rules policy.
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  • Can tote bets be placed using Betfair Mobile?
  • Initially, it will not be possible to place tote bets using Betfair Mobile or Betfair Lite.
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  • Are my tote bets highlighted in Current Bets, Betting History and on My Statement?
  • Yes, they will be accessible through the My Account section of the site as is the case with exchange bets.
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  • Does Betfair have rules and regulations specific to tote betting, i.e. what happens to my tote bet if there is a subsequent non-runner?
  • All tote betting at Betfair complies with the SuperTAB pari-mutuel betting rules. Please click here for further information.
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  • How does the agent relationship between Betfair and Tote Tasmania work?
  • In this more corporate-area, should we have a question to explain the Agent relationship, e.g. That Betfair is an agent for TOTE Tasmania, providing their product through our interface for our customers. Accordingly, Betfair customers betting on the tote product are commercially governed by TOTE Tasmania and their pricing.
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  • Does this mean Betfair now has a tote/TAB licence?
  • No. Betfair does not require a tote/TAB licence because it is not operating its own tote/TAB. It is simply acting as an agent for Tote Tasmania to help distribute the Tote's existing products.
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  • Will the partnership between Betfair and TOTE Tasmania affect relationships between Betfair and other interstate or international racing bodies?
  • We envisage that any effect from the partnership will be positive. If anything, we hope that it may encourage other tote agencies to recognise the benefits of such a relationship, as TOTE Tasmania has done.
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  • Does Betfair expect some drift away from its traditional customers due to the addition of TOTE Tasmania's bet types to its product range?
  • We believe that Betfair's exchange products complement traditional wagering platforms and see the addition of tote products to our product range as highly beneficial to Betfair customers. By providing a broader range of products it will better enable us to meet the needs of our customers
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  • How does Betfair contribute to the racing industry? Will this partnership have an effect on this contribution?
  • As well as paying significant licensing fees to the administrators of racing around Australia, more than 30 cents in every dollar Betfair makes from Australian racing is put back into the racing industry. Through the partnership with TOTE Tasmania, Betfair will be increasing TOTE Tasmania's share of the SuperTAB pools which will in turn increase Tote Tasmania's contribution to the Australian racing industry. No matter where an event is taking place, or where a punter may be, Betfair plays its part in ensuring Aussie racing and sport exists and thrives.
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  • How are taxes and returns to the industry (e.g. product fees) calculated on revenue generated through Betfair's customers betting on Tote Tasmania's products?
  • For the purposes of calculating taxes and product fees to the industry, revenue generated through the arrangement is treated in exactly the same way as if the bets were placed directly with Tote Tasmania.
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  • Does Betfair need separate approval from interstate racing bodies to offer Tote bets on their races?
  • No. Betfair is simply acting as a distribution agent of Tote Tasmania. To the extent Tote Tasmania has approval to offer bets on certain races, Betfair is also able to facilitate bets on relevant Tote markets.
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