Betting ban on the Australian of the Year after questions whether Grace Tame was leaked as winner

Punters can no longer bet on the Australian of the Year award outcome as federal police probe whether the 2020 winner was leaked.

Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister Ben Morton last week asked the Northern Territory Licensing Commission – where many online bookmakers are registered because of generous tax incentives – to implement the ban.   

Within a matter of weeks leading to the January 2021 awards, odds on outsider Grace Tame slashed from $6 to $1.36.

The monumental shift prompted concerns the outcome of the award had been leaked.

The relatively unknown 26-year-old was announced as the winner on the eve of Australia Day on January 25.

Ms Tame was a sexual abuse survivor who had won a landmark legal case allowing her to publicly name her abuser – a former teacher at St Michael’s Collegiate girl’s school in Hobart – which led to the state’s gag laws being overturned. 

She was up against chief medical officer Brendan Murphy – who until that point had led Australia through the Covid pandemic – and former NSW fire commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons, most famous for his work during the 2019/2020 bushfire season.

Both men started as favourites but were overtaken by Ms Tame in the days before the award ceremony. 

The drop in betting odds was so sharp the matter was referred to Australia’s crime watchdog the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission on January 25 and later to the Australian Federal Police.  

Betting odds for Ms Tame plunged dramatically on most online betting platforms in December 2020 (pictured) 

Ben Morton (pictured left) assistant minister to the prime minister (pictured right) wrote to the NT Licensing Commission asking them to disallow betting on the event 

Ms Tame did not know she had won until the awards were announced and it is not suggested she was involved in a possible leak. 

There were, however, about 180 people who knew in December before the awards who would win including staff at the National Australia Day Council and those involved in the television broadcast of the awards. 

Each person was required to sign a non-disclosure agreement preventing them from discussing the awards – including a specific non-betting clause. 

Ms Morton wrote to Northern Territory Attorney-General Selina Uibo asking that Licensing NT disallow betting on the Australian of the Year awards, reports Newscorp. 

‘The Australian Federal Police recently informed me they are investigating a suspected abuse of public office, or the use of insider information, to bet on nominees for the Awards,’ Mr Morton wrote.

‘While the investigation is ongoing the AFP considers the ability to bet on the awards poses a risk to the integrity and reputation of the Awards and has the potential to erode confidence in the NADC.

Grace Tame and Brittany Higgins (pictured) have risen to prominence as campaigners in 2021 

The awards have now been removed from the list of approved events on which bets can be lawfully placed. 

Ms Uibo later clarified she had made the request to the commissioner in charge. 

A check of registered online gambling providers in Australia reveals 31 of the 46 licence holders are registered in the Northern Territory. 

‘Australians enjoy a bet but they want to make sure that when they’re placing a bet that it’s on a fair market that it’s not rigged, that it’s not corrupt, and there are allegations here that need to be investigated,’ defence minister Peter Dutton previously said.