On the question of banning things for adults – even things that, to some at least, can be dangerous – I’m no fan.
The period between the grand finals of both footy codes and the Melbourne Cup is one of peak saturation for the corporate betting companies advertising across television, radio and social media. Come the first Tuesday in November, nearly everyone in the country will know what Joel Caine and his cohort of fellow bookie spruikers fancy in anything from the Melbourne Cup to the US presidential election.
All of this is entirely fascinating. Not because we live in a world where it matters what Caine’s opinions are about matters of the punt, but because 35 years ago none of this even existed. Thirty-five years ago, you had the TAB, bookmakers at the races and illegal …