Meet the Joker: the Australian who is the biggest gambler in the world

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You'd be hard pressed to find a modest, state-owned foldout property in the Sydney suburb of Mosman - the world's biggest gambler, the joker, paying just $100 a week for it.

Zelko Ranogama hides more than $3 billion a year in gambling around the world, but only once passes with shock jockey radio station Kyle Sandilands from his cottage in Sydney. And in real time, this giant is gambling in the world's most expensive house.

Leviathan Australian gambler Zelko Ranogama is also known as John Wilson.

One of 86 apartments occupied by the super-rich is up for resale in real time - the asking price is $90 million. Other homes are fetching double the price.

Famous only for his name, Zhelko includes his birth date, May 22, 1961, and actually lives at the address John Wilson. It is on this border that he will hit even bigger positions, just under the name John-Wilson Zhelko.

According to British collective documents, John Wilson has a control package for Colossus Bets Promotions. In July, Colossus Bets will join forces with 55 Hippodrome to send English bullets to the jump. A new venture called BritBets will throw a call from the British tote, whose 10-year monopoly will end in July.

After a battle with the Australian Taxation Office, the hermit Zhelko moved his personal gambling cabinet to the Maine Peninsula, a tax haven in the Irish Sea off the coast of England. Shortly after his own arrival in early 2012, he founded Colossus Betting with Bernard Marantelli, a descendant of a Victorian bookmaker.

Property on Middlehead Road, Mosman, as seen in company documents. Credit: Wolter Peeters

Every minute of every day, the betting syndicate Zhelko prepares bets for the finals of sporting events around the world. To gain an edge, mathematicians, data specialists, computer scientists, and jump observers work in his company. When the method determines that the pool or jackpot will actually reach a certain amount, the syndicate, known as the "bankroll", plants the kush.

However, the success rate does not bring the bankroll position. This is the underground receipt of bribes from the gaming companies, and in fact, this means that these, like Zhelko, cannot lose any opportunity.

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Fairfax media prove that one of the people who gives "kickback" and "rebate" from Zelco and other Levians seems to be Tabcope, who is trading with ASX involved in betting. I have the ability.

"It is actually known that the total world has bonuses to customers with a huge amount of sales," said Tabcope's authorized person.

According to the commercial view, the betting company does not approve the required amount of Zelko, which is considered to be the coolest buyer, but Tabcorp must be regenerated to be refunded. I have not discovered the necessary annual amount.

According to the insider, Tabcorp Zelco distinguishes rollbacks with 8 % to 10 % volumes. Thus, it is important that Syndicate Zelko, including an event that loses 2 % in a bed, is to catch up with the average player if you take a refund.

How it works

One of the Tabcorp products is the game in the Keno lottery method. Gambling experts actually say 40, as well as Zhelko's Shinjikates or other major, among the 44 jackpots of Keno, which were torn in Australian pubs and clubs last year. Tabcope is protesting this statement. But the views do not change.

Take the jackpot held on March 29. Until the jackpot rose to $ 18, the player was wasted for each game with a joint difficulty of over $ 900. At one point, the turn increased by 15 and exceeded $ 13. 400 for each game. This amount was placed in all games after the jackpot of $ 26. 517 songs did not break on this IRGE 503.

According to rumors, Zelko Boughts, as a result, was less than 90 % of tickets for ordinary players without large bankroll or computer algorithms.

Tabcope and other gambling companies around the world are estimated to be $ 3 billion of Hobart ZHELKO's bet.

It was public in court 10 years ago.

"How much does syndicate cost a year?" In 2008, he occasionally appeared in the public and asked the Federal Avitator Rolf - -Driver, who destroyed his previous business partner in gambling.

One answer was "I think it is $ 1 billion."

The judge had no chance to trust his ears. "$ 1 billion?

"Yes, it's $ 1 billion," Zelco replied.

"We call the Bankrol-Bankrol Panters Club." The customers who bet at our level are a few units in the world, "he said without abyss.

However, as he explained in court, the general players were not for prizes, but for bonuses and "royalty payments."

"It's a very simple thing." Even if you bet 100 euros and lose 5 euros, if you have a 10 % discount, you will get a profit of 5 %.

"You win every time." If you bet a fairly large amount, this is a parity pool, eventually reducing the value so that the odds are objective. If you bet on 8 euros. , 6 euros.

Selico's Twitter has a million dollar Lamborghini.

A reclusive tsar

This gambling king with a nickname "Monster of Lake Ness" rarely appears. To be inconspicuous, he uses a series of labyrinths and fake status of Tasmanian sel f-employed needles, "Age" paper and former creators of "Herald" paper special feature.

His blocked Twitter accounts include photos of Lamborghini Aventador Coupe, a 1 million dollar sports car with Sydney Harbor Bridge instead of sel f-portrait.

His Twitter's profile says, "Probably the world's largest gambler and experienced high prize gambler."

The Punters Club

Zelico moved to the main peninsula because he had a fierce struggle with the Australian tax office in 2012. The Interior Revenue Agency has claimed up to $ 600 million taxes and fines from Tasmanian people. Syndique declared that the job was not considered a business, resulting in no tax on gambling prize money.

After syndicate reached a great agreement on ATO and confidentiality, Australian Financial Review obtained a document indicating that Panters Club was highly likely to be asked in ATO in 2003. 。

David Walsh, who is blessed with mathematics talent, gave Zelco a hint to understand the entrepreneurian spirit of gambling. Credit Peter Matthew

In fact, when the newspaper was asked how much the members of the syndicate won, the player said, "It is not easy to evaluate turns and profits as a result, and I do not want to guess it." Suggested that he had to answer.

Financial reviews report that the player is also required to answer syndicate that he does not understand all members, and that he must distribute money and to find out which bank account will come. I am.

Elizabeth Aitken and Zoe Davis, who cover Davis' stamps, are considered shareholders of Colossus Vets today.

Zelko's best friend, David Walsh, was involved in the skirmish with Atto. The two met while studying at the Tasmanian Institute. Walsh's personal Museum of Old and New Art (Mona) in Hobart shows Walsh's own complex sense of guilt, as he had actually received a position from the Garters Club.

"Gambling", he wrote in his own autobiography in 2014, "in the end, they receive money but do nothing more".

"The reason I actually created MON was to relieve myself of the guilt of making money without actually getting anything back", he wrote.

In 2009, when Walsh was fighting the monthly Mona construction costs, Zelko decided to "snatch the jackpot" at the Melbourne Cup because of the amount of the pool, Walsh reports in his book.

He doesn't give any figures, but it is true that Walsh received $17 million when a shocking horse won under the management of Cabana-Stigma.

Kicked out of casinos

Since the early 1980s, the mathematically gifted Walsh has found a conclusion in Zelko's gambling. First, Walsh's calculations were adjusted at the blackjack table at Hobart's Wrest Point Casino, which actually led to a fatal outcome.

In May 1984, counting cards was not allowed.

According to correspondence obtained by Fairfax Media, he was actually following in his footsteps this time, and another 23-year-old Zelko is completely contesting his ban.

"I have studied the standards for the game of blackjack and would appreciate it if you could tell me on what basis the "use of calculation" of cards was recognized as an unnatural (SIC) game in this blackjack irge," defender Damien Bagg complained after he became the director of the local government of the federation.

The acting gambling commissioner stated that the calculation of cards assigns an advantage to the player for the "home" because the memorization of cards allows the player to port odds when it comes to betting on one hand or the other.

Zelko had also been kicked out of Jupiter's Casino on Queensland's Golden Coast on the day of the discovery. In fact, in the past, the security department boss has acknowledged that there is a manuscript paper calling Zelko, who is still known as "Joker", a "famous card castard".

Walsh outlined the 1980s cover as a melancholy year. The Banning Casino then moved Zelko, loyal Shelley Wilson, whom he had met at the casino, and Walsh to Sydney. Trinity faded out and went off to Korea to play blackjack while improving their gambling system.

By 1994, they bet on millions of dollars a week in Lotto, Ken, Horse and Gray Hound.

In July of the same year, his cheeky but calculated bet was one side of the Sydney Morning Shimbun. "King Keno" Nick Zelco knew that the North Ride RSL jackpot had reached $ 4 million. For six consecutive days, he won $ 10 million to $ 13 million and hit a $ 7. 5 million jackpot. Zelco has won millions of dollars, with about 48 % of the prizes returned to players and encouraging them to continue betting.

'He backed the whole field'

One of the lac e-only insiders noticed Zelco's shadow, which bets on the world's most rich jumping, Danin and Everest. In October last year, a 120 0-meter sprint matched in Landwick, a jackpot of $ 600. 000, to choose a horse from the first to fourth. When the jump began, the pool had about $ 1. 5 million. By the end of the race, there was another $ 1. 5 million from the main island.

According to the officials, Zelco "defeated" the pool. "He was almost guaranteed the victory, and also received a $ 150. 000 return."

Even if the bankroll syndicate is positive, or a little losing, it is still won thanks to the return. And the less it is returned to the Glco Player Club, the less it remains in the regular player pool.

And this is what the famous billionaire should be even more rich. Until now, the UK Zelco / Wilsus Bets has been operated as a pool payment that can predict the score and results of sporting events. The bet is placed in the pool, and the winning player gets a total deduction of all deductions from the pool.

"Colossus Vetts offers the world's largest sports jackpots, including European soccer, and millions of dollars every week.

"We are planning to achieve the world dominance on the Colossus website for many years as a sports fair and Lotto leader on the Colossus website for many years. "

British gambling experts have suggested that Colossus will pay 20 % of the sum before paying the victory. Zhelko has a Colossus stock control package through his alter ego, John Wilson.

Legal appearances

The name John Wilson first appeared in a company document in December 1997.

Earlier this month, the Commission found that the actual gambling company Vitab from Vanuatu "Fludgeway" had signed a contract with the TAB Act, giving it access to the Victorian TAB.

The unfavorable report by Commissioner Richard Burbidge, QC, stated that Vitab had never been tested for reliability, as it had been between the gambling company's cover owner Australian function and Peter Bartholome and his Shurin Alan Tripp, who had a number of criminal records for his own gambling business.

Former Prime Minister Bob Hawke owned 12 percent of the promotion, and through a company controlled by the plebiscite directors Zelko and Walsh, owned 20 percent of the promotion controlled by Vanuatu.

Despite every effort made by the Commission to contact Zelko, Walsh, Tripp and Bartholome for testimony, no one had them.

The agenda got the Zelko and Walsh law firm, which controlled Federal Senator Eric Abetz and his associate Roger Curtis.

Curtis described the investigation, but on September 10, 1997, just one week before the committee took up the matter, Zelko had seized important Vitab files from Curtis's office. Belbidge was furious. In his own final report, he said the seizure of the files was essentially an attempt to "confuse" and "obstruct" his investigation.

The final report found little evidence to conclude that Hawke, Zelko and Walsh actually knew about the original fraud when Vitab made its contract with Acttab.

After the Vitab fiasco, Zelko and Walsh joined forces with former bookmaker employee Waterhouse (Carl O'Farrell's Irish citizen).

"I am invited by John Wilson, I am present... I am invited by John Wilson, I am present... in Mosman and am considered an investor," Zelko told the court in November 2008, during the demise of his partner O'Farrell.

Asked if he was still popular as Zelko Ranogamian, he replied: "Yes, I did. I took my wife's surname when I got married."

O'Farrell, through his company Capital Play, came up with an ambitious plan with American decision.

In January 2004, gambling regulators were keen to admit who was behind this front company.

In court, Zelko agreed that members of the bankroll syndicate were "unwilling or unable" to provide the information requested by the gambling regulators.

The center of the legal conflict was that the offalel promised Zelco to refund the bet in the United States. This refund payment was based on the promise, and it may have been involved in "illegal acts in the United States", but Driver Judges have made a decision that is advantageous to Zelco and bankrupt. I admitted.

Property portfolio

Later, everything was strong. The following week, Zelco, unusually appearing in public as a witness, paid less than $ 20 million to Mosman's mansion overlooking Sydney Heds.

One of the homes registered under the name of his wife is Kyle Sandruns.

Zelco has many other prime locations in Sydney through a variety of corporations, and also owns a villa on a villa in a $ 4 million in 2007.

In 2013, he purchased a 5. 3 million dollar 5-bedroom penthouse in Hobart and expanded Tasmanian real estate portfolio. In the documents, the property is owned by London Met. The only shareholder, Zenon Passeny, has been an old friend since the Hobart era. Passeny, who once contributed to Herald's paper and Age paper, has been a director of Australia's Zelico / Wilson.

Meanwhile, the Tasmanian tourism industry is linked to the continuous success of Zeruko's gambling business and bankroll. Walsh acknowledges that Mona's destiny, which has lost millions of dollars every year, has been continuously successful in the gambling industry.

"If I die now, I need a wise decision to make money, but that would be possible," he said to the Financial Review this year.

Walsh's book "A Bone of Fact" describes a dedication to Zelico. This book is about you. My life has an inseparable relationship with you. "

"Many people can realize fantasy, but you have realized my fantasy. Thank you." < SPAN> The center of the legal conflict was that the offalel promised Zelco to refund the bet in the United States. This refund payment was based on the promise, and it may have been involved in "illegal acts in the United States", but Driver Judges have made a decision that is advantageous to Zelco and bankrupt. I admitted.