Originally Posted by Sportz

I hope the bookies don't pay out on any of those bets they took on Storm winning the spoon yesterday. Just ridiculous that anyone should make big money out of what was obviously inside info.

Originally Posted by Sportingbet Blog

Sportingbet Australia will pay over $40,000 on the Wooden Spoon after Melbourne Storm were stripped of all their Premiership points. Sportingbet Australia CEO Michael Sullivan said this would change the way Wooden Spoon betting would be done in the future.

“Melbourne has gone from $251 to no betting in the space of six hours which has to be the biggest shortener in betting history,” Sullivan said.

“We will look at the way we bet on the Wooden Spoon in the future as punters and bookmakers alike are betting without all the information.”

“We have refunded all Premiership bets on Melbourne as they are now out of calculations.”

Sullivan said the decision had an enormous impact on betting going forward in 2010 as well.

“This has consequences on match betting throughought the year, as what motivation do the Storm have if they can’t finish anywhere but last,” he said.