Overseas bet interest on NPL hard to believe

IT SEEMS ridiculous to me that there are people in Europe and the Middle East betting on National Premier Leagues Queensland matches.

Punters in Kiev and Qatar can put cash on the result of the South-West Thunder playing in Toowoomba despite being on the other side of the world.

The NPL Qld is a decent league but players are semi-professional at best which makes it hard to digest.

Sure, bet on the A-League or major European leagues where players are professional, but there doesn’t need to be a betting market on games in a league where rising youngsters and those with day jobs are just trying to enjoy the game they love while testing themselves at the highest level they can.

Australian betting agencies offer odds on NPL Qld games but there is just something about offshore gambling that makes it hard for me to stomach.

In Australia we can actually get out to games and take an active interest in whichever team we support.

But what actual interest does someone in Europe or the Middle East have in Queensland football?

If they are that devoid of something to bet on, surely they can wager on which drop of rain will fall down the window of a cafe in Vladivostok or something.

Whenever money comes into things, it complicates them.

There is betting on horse races at Clifford Park every week, but that is heavily regulated and participated in by those willing to be part of that environment.

Taking bets on games featuring semi-professional footballers takes away some of the innocence of playing the game.

Hopefully there are no instances that spoil the contest for those just wanting to enjoy state league football.