By Annette Shailer
Tabcorp customers wagered $110 million on the 150th running of the Emirates Melbourne Cup yesterday (Nov 2).
Victorian TAB tote customers wagered $40.2 million on the Melbourne Cup ($40.1 million in 2009) and $70 million on the entire Flemington 10-race meeting ($70.8 million in 2009).
NSW TAB punters wagered $58.0 million on the Melbourne Cup ($56.0 million in 2009) through the tote and $73.5 million on the entire Flemington 10-race meeting ($72.1 million in 2009).
Customers also invested almost $12 million on fixed odds Melbourne Cup betting through TAB Fixed Odds (which was up 58 per cent) and Luxbet.
Americain took out the Emirates Melbourne Cup and paid $10.90 on the Victorian TAB and $12.30 on the NSW TAB. The trifecta paid $306.60 in Victoria and $267.30 in NSW.
Tabcorp’s Managing Director of Wagering, David Attenborough, said Tabcorp delivered an Emirates Melbourne Cup fitting of its 150th running through its NSW TAB, Victorian TAB, TAB Sportsbet and Luxbet brands.
“The level of interest in betting with Tabcorp on the Emirates Melbourne Cup continues to be enormous,” Attenborough said.
“Tabcorp has once again given its regular and once-a-year customers an Emirates Melbourne Cup to enjoy. We experienced strong growth in fixed odds betting and in the online channel and successfully introduced new initiatives. Tabcorp’s account customers were also able to place Melbourne Cup bets via the TAB’s iPhone app for the first time.”