THE ‘Loch Ness Monster’ of punting has launched a multi-million pound to take over British racing, according to reports.
Known as ‘The Joker’ for his elusive and secretive nature, Australian Zeljko Ranogajec is thought to be worth around £350million, although his true net worth could go into the billions.
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Reports claim he has approached several British racecourses through his company Colossus Bets in a bid to replace the Tote, the pool betting service set up by Winston Churchill.
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Tote Group sponsor loads of races in Britain and Ireland and run the popular Placepot and Scoop 6.
But is claimed Ranogajec’s business partner and fellow pro punter Bernard Marantelli has sounded out racecourses about a new deal.
Tracks in the UK are either owned by Arena Racing Company, The Jockey Club or, like Ascot, are independent.
The Telegraph say some unnamed independent tracks are ‘engaged in talks about Colossus’ offer’.
It is believed there will be no splinter groups if and when a decision is made, with the call being a collective one among all.
At the moment the interested parties are ‘miles away from doing a deal’, a source told the Telegraph.
They added: “They have work to do to prove their credibility. The courses are all talking, but there’s work to do. It’s very politically charged.”
The 1928 Racecourse Betting Act, brought in by wartime leader Churchill, set up the Tote to combat black market betting.
The Tote was run by the Government until 2011 when it was privatised.
Ranogajec, who is in his sixties, is a huge high roller in the world of punting.
In 2014 he reportedly forked out mega cash – thought to be in the tens of millions – for a property at the ultra-exclusive One Hyde Park in Knightsbridge, London.
Guarded 24/7 by SAS-trained security, the £160m sale of a penthouse flat there in 2018 was a world record.
The incredible property as a whole, launched by renowned real estate tycoons Christian and Nick Candy in 2011, is regarded as the world’s most expensive.
Ranogajec and his family remain incredibly secretive.
The only real clue we have about their vast fortune comes from court documents and when their social media accounts were briefly open.
The Daily Mail reported in 2018 how they would have dinner with TV star chef Heston Blumenthal.
They were said to be ‘on the move every few weeks’, travelling from London to Milan, Melbourne to Paris and LA to Singapore.
And they enjoyed courtside seats at Wimbledon and days out at Royal Ascot.
It is an amazing lifestyle, funded by his estimated £1.6billion staked every year as part of his huge gambling operation.
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But Ranogajec – who also goes by ‘John Wilson’ – did not start out at the track.
After studying commerce and law at the University of Tasmania in the 1980s, he used his maths skills to good effect by winning big at blackjack and poker.
The house won eventually when they kicked him out of their casinos for being too good.
That’s when he moved on to horses with betting partner David Walsh, an eccentric Australian who opened a gallery of ‘sex and death’ labelled the ‘adult Disneyland’.
Ranogajec’s rapid success meant he was soon able to employ a small army of workers – much like billionaire punter Bill Benter.
By this stage, he was betting massive sums – and benefiting from a ‘rebate’ initiative in betting pools.
It basically meant that he could make money whatever he bet, win or lose.
Some rebates – a form of cashback on what he staked – were as big as 20 per cent.
Ranogajec explained it best in Australian court documents in 2008. He said: “It’s very simple. You bet to lose so that you actually turn over more money and the win comes from rebates.
“If you bet $100 and lost $5, but you get a ten per cent rebate, you still make five per cent. You always win.
“We’re called Bankroll Punters Club, that’s what we call ourselves.
“Customers that bet on our level number in the handful in the world.”
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