Recent
news:
August
2007
A strategic decision is taken to turn OZmium's core
horse racing handicapping service into a free group. This
almost completes OZmium's departure from the tout industry,
with AFL football the only remaining subscription service.
June
2007
Income generated by OZmium during the financial year
ending 30-7-2007 is the highest achieved
to date. Income has exceeded the previous year's on every
occasion
since the company was founded in January, 2000.
Gradual restructuring down to just two current directors
from as many as five in its early years has simultaneously
reduced outgoings, as has ongoing capital investment in
IT solutions.
News
archive:
May
2007
Former OZmium Tennis handicapper Tony Messenger returns
to offer a free Tennis betting group.
April
2007
OZmium Blackjack expert Andrew Scott becomes Gambling
Correspondent for well known Australian news and current
affairs analysis website, Crikey.com.au. Scott's articles
and reports on various gambling related matters begin
appearing on Smartgambler.
March
2007
OZmium decides to drop subscription coverage of Australian
NRL and American MLB at the end of the 2007 seasons, reducing
subscription services in 2008 to just AFL Football and
Australian horse racing, with free coverage of Rugby Union
and Cricket.
February
2007
CardAcademy.com takes over content provision for the
Smartgambler Poker section. The CardAcademy team includes
leading Australian Poker identities such as 1995 World
Poker Champion Joe Hachem.
August
2006
Andrew LeRoy retires as content provider for the Smartgambler
Poker section.
July
2006
OZmium's move away from subscription handicapping
continues with the introduction of free coverage of international
Rugby Union, replacing the previous subscription model.
June
2006
OZmium signs experienced Cricket bettor Blair McFarlane
to take over the new Cricket group when Damien Oborne
is unable to continue and Cricket is offered free of charge
to people opening a new account with selected bookmakers.
The
building of affiliate income streams is identified as
the future prime revenue earning model for OZmium. A strategic
decision is taken to phase out subscription packages for
Tennis, Soccer, Golf, NBA Basketball and NFL Football.
October
2005
OZmium signs former Cricket training centre owner
Damien Oborne as Marketing Manager and Cricket expert.
September
2005
OZmium Managing Director Guy
West makes a second appearance on Channel Seven's Today
Tonight show, commenting on poker machines and the techniques
used to keep people playing them.
August
2005
The Australian National Library
seeks and is given permission to electronically archive
the Smartgambler website.
July
2005
Smartgambler Poker expert Andrew
LeRoy is interviewed about the game on Canberra's Louise
Maher drive time radio show, after Joe Hachem's victory
in the 2005 World Series of Poker Main Event.
July
2005
OZmium welcomes one of Australia's
leading Texas Holdem players, Andrew 'Lucky' LeRoy, to
run the Smartgambler Poker section.
January
2005
Dr Alan McCabe retires as NRL
handicapper and Professor Stephen Clarke takes over.
December
2004
OZmium secures Australia's most
well known Blackjack player and card counter, Andrew Scott,
to run the Smartgambler Blackjack section.
August
2004
Gambler's
Help releases G-Pack, containing material provided by
OZmium Managing Director Guy West in its 'Myths and Maths'
section.
August
2004
OZmium
signs American sports handicappers Masterbets to provide
American NBA coverage.
August
2004
American
NFL is introduced, run by Football Formula, the same handicapping
team covering MLB for OZmium since July 2003.
July
2004
OZmium pays a five figure sum in settlement of
a threatened defamation action by a company selling racing
systems, lampooned as rip-offs in an article on the Pro-Punter
website. OZmium subsequently removes any articles from
its websites that could potentially be viewed as defamatory
and curtails its role as a commentator on racing industry
scams.
July
2004
English Golf betting expert Scott Miller is subcontracted
to run the Golf group, taking over from his business partner
Derek Fearnley.
July
2004
OZmium
secures the services of English Tennis betting guru Nick
Wheatley from NelsonBetAdvisor, to take over from the
departing Tony Messenger.
June
2004
OZmium
signs Rugby Union expert Stefan Yelas to partner Professor
Ray Stefani in expanding the Super Twelves package to
incorporate all international Rugby Union fixtures.
June
2004
OZmium
Managing Director Guy West is engaged to rewrite a section
of a pamphlet aimed at problem gamblers, distributed by
the organisation 'Gambler's Help' .
May
2004
OZmium
contracts IT Support Partners as its in-house technical
services provider and purchases its own dedicated server.
OZmium websites are migrated to the new server.
January
2004
OZmium
secures the services of Derek Fearnley, England's leading
golf betting expert, to provide information on Pro Tour
Golf betting.
July
2003
OZmium
strikes a deal with American sports betting company Baseball
Formula, to provide coverage of US Major League Baseball.
January
2003
OZmium
secures the services of Dr Alan McCabe of James Cook University,
Qld. McCabe, a researcher in artificial intelligence,
attracted international media interest due to his MAIT
Rugby League tipping program.
November
2002
OZmium
secures the services of Professor Ray Stefani of the University
of California, Long Beach. Stefani is internationally
recognised for his expertise in sports statistics and
mathematical modelling and advises clients on European
soccer and Super 12 Rugby Union.
October
2002
OZmium's
Director of Racing Services, Neil Davis quoted in Melbourne's
Age newspaper in an article called 'No sure thing' by
journalist Murray Mottram, attacking 'Track-er Money Generator'
software as 'doomed to fail' and making other gambling
related comments.
September
2002
Professional
tennis bettor and expert Tony Messenger is signed by OZmium
to provide ATP tour information to OZmium clients.
August
2002
OZmium
Managing Director Guy West is interviewed on Channel Nine's
'A Current Affair' about poker machines.
May
2002
OZmium
introduces secure online credit card facilities onto its
websites after procuring a merchant facility with the
ANZ bank.
February 2002
OZmium
secures the services of Professor Stephen Clarke of Swinburne
University, Australia's best known sports statistician.
Clarke joins OZmium as AFL football betting analyst.
November
2001
OZmium's
Director of Racing Services Neil Davis is used for expert
comments in 'The Age Online' during the Melbourne Cup
carnival.
March 2001
The
Age newspaper's Sunday Life magazine runs an article on
'Beating the Recession' by journalist Everard Hunder.
OZmium's now completed second website Smartgambler is
used as a reference source on gambling information.
January 2001
OZmium
acquires Australian thoroughbred racing website Pro-Punter
via a scrip deal and Neil Davis joins the OZmium board
of directors, taking the number to five.
Historical
perspective:
OZmium
was registered as a Pty Ltd company with four directors
in January 2000 and work commenced on the Smartgambler
website.
OZmium was soon engaged as a consultant to Professional
Punter Publishing, owned by racing expert Neil Davis.
His company traded via its Australian horse racing website
Pro-Punter, offering information, advice and ratings.
OZmium's
team including search engine optimisation expert Michael
Molnar, were able to greatly increase traffic flow to
Pro-Punter, redesign the site and help turn it into one
of the premier thoroughbred racing sites in Australasia.
