A GROUP of fed-up punters have vowed not to bet on any Australian races tomorrow as they fight for a minimum-bet rule to apply to all bookmakers across the country.

The group, who stepped up their campaign on social media yesterday, are demanding minimum-bet rules be introduced nationwide so that corporate bookmakers in particular must accept all bets to win at least $2500 on “all markets at all times”.

Melbourne punter Paul Degenhardt is the man behind the group which warned tomorrow’s move was just the first of a series of measures designed to bring power back to the punter.

“A lot of guys have been pushing for this for a long time and they are absolutely livid with how punters are being treated,” Degenhardt said.

“The major gripe is they can’t get their bets on and the corporates just pick and choose who they want to have a bet.

“These are punters who win and lose and they are happy to take their money when they lose but when they have a win they turn around and start trying to restrict them.

“The movement is in its infancy ... and there is a proposed demonstration in the next month or two outside Racing Victoria headquarters.”

Almost 200 punters voted in support of the group’s planned actions tomorrow in a poll on Twitter yesterday.

Racing NSW announced minimum-bet rules in late 2014 to force corporate bookmakers to pay a minimum $2000 win bet on a Saturday Sydney metropolitan race and $1000 at the provincials and in the bush.

But Degenhardt described the Racing NSW rule as a token gesture and said it did not help punters wanting to place their bets as soon as markets were released.

“Punters start betting Wednesday afternoon for Saturday meetings and by the time Saturday comes around there is no value left in the market,” he said.

“This rule in NSW only ­applies from 9am (on race day) and the markets have been open for three days before that and the rules are very weak.”

Racing NSW chief executive Peter V’landys said the punters’ attack on Racing NSW was unwarranted.

“NSW does more for the punter than any other jurisdiction,” V’landys said.

“I introduced (the minimum-bet rule) after a lot of punters called me and we acted immediately and it’s dis­appointing that no other jurisdiction around Australia has followed suit.

“There has to be a balance between the punter and bookmaker and we are not trying to favour the punter or the bookmaker. All we want is an equitable balance and we feel we have the balance right.”

Minimum-bet rules apply to oncourse bookmakers in Queensland and at least some other states but no rules are placed on corporate bookmakers in Queensland or Victoria.

A Racing Victoria spokeswoman yesterday said “minimum betting will continue to be a consideration in our annual race fields review which will occur in April-May”.

A Racing Queensland spokesman said it would “consider a national approach on this topic which would be best channelled through the Australian Racing Board”.