The long-existing NRL deal only returns the code a 5 per cent piece of bookies' profits on rugby league betting, which amounts to a far less generous figure given the low profit margins with wagering on the game. Exactly what percentage of turnover agencies will now have to fork out to the NRL was on Friday unclear but there will be a sliding scale in place with lower rates paid to the governing body for standard bets, such as head-to-head and higher rates for more exotic wagers. Betting on rugby league is such big business the TAB has previously reported it holds on average more than $1 million for every Monday night match, its most popular game of the week, and holds nearly $200 million each season. Other estimates place the total turnover for betting on league each round at more than $30m. The NRL is the first Australian code to strike turnover deals but it has been a long-term objective of the Coalition of Major Professional and Participation Sports, which represents the likes of the NRL, AFL, soccer and rugby. "The sports have all expressed a wish to receive a higher share of income that's generated from betting on their products," COMPPS executive director Malcolm Speed said. "The team sports are still well behind racing in the percentage they receive and the team sports would like to bridge the gap.

"As betting has grown they are in a position to command a higher percentage. It's good to see that they're now doing better." The new deals have been begrudgingly accepted by bookmakers. "We knew this was coming and it's been mooted for a while," said Gerard Daffy of UBet. "We know the world is a changing place and I don't think anyone would argue that any sport is not entitled to their share of the revenue stream. No one will tell you that they like paying more but most of us can see the logic behind it and have an understanding." There is concern, however, about the prominence of unlicensed offshore betting agencies, which unlike Australian operators - who have integrity agreements with the NRL - are not regulated. Daffy says there are more gambling agencies taking bets on rugby league overseas, including the Caribbean islands and Sweden, than in Australia itself.

"Their big problem is not what goes on here, it's what goes on elsewhere," he said. "There's now about 100 bookies in the world that now bet on AFL and rugby league and they contribute zero. Some of them bet on a lot of options that we're not allowed to in regards to our agreement with the NRL. I'm hearing of bookmakers overseas that are taking bets off individuals in excess of $20,000 in games of rugby league and AFL." Daffy also believes the NRL must tighten up its policy around the naming of teams, which occurs on Tuesday night. Teams that have played on Monday night are named less than 24 hours later despite often having no resemblance to the line-up that will actually take the field in the following round. "It's a two-way street and we expect things in return," he said. Speed said COMPPS and the sports had been arguing for several years for changes to the Interactive Gambling Act in an effort to make local agencies more competitive against their foreign rivals by enabling them to have online in-play betting. "It's a weakness in the system and we've arguing that it should be rectified," Speed said. Follow LeagueHQ on Twitter

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