Beating The Odds: The Rise and Rise of Alan Tripp – Australia’s Gambling Kingpin
Australian History Biography True Crime Business Biography Horse Racing Gambling Organized Crime Underworld Memoir
“Beating The Odds: The Rise and Rise of Alan Tripp – Australia’s Gambling Kingpin” is the gripping, fully-illustrated biography that charts the incredible journey of Alan Tripp, the working-class Sydney boy who parlayed an illegal SP bookmaking operation into a billion-dollar wagering empire. Across 359 fast-paced pages, Nichola Garvey (HarperCollins, 2011) delivers exclusive interviews, unseen photographs and court documents to show how Tripp outwitted police, rival gangs and Royal Commissions for four decades, culminating in the legalisation of his own betting exchange—an outcome that rewrote Australian gaming law. Horse-racing devotees, true-crime readers and business-story fans alike will be hooked by the track-side anecdotes, high-stake gambles and the man who always took the bet no-one else would.
What makes this particular paperback desirable is its 2011 first-edition status: the ISBN 9780732290979 is already scarce in illustrated condition, and this copy remains tight, unmarked and perfectly readable despite light external page-edge foxing—ideal for collectors who want the story without the premium price of a pristine copy. The book doubles as a reference text for criminology, business ethics and Australian social history courses, offering primary-source detail on SP starting-price networks, police corruption inquiries and the evolution of modern corporate bookmaking. Young adults researching national identity or adults nostalgic for the racetrack culture of the ’70s-’90s will find every chapter packed with cultural touchstones, from the Melbourne Cup plunge to the rise of online betting.
For buyers hunting an authentic Australian underdog tale, “Beating The Odds” delivers the rare mix of rollicking narrative and scholarly depth—no prior knowledge of racing or gaming required. Garvey’s journalistic style keeps the pace electric while grounding every coup and courtroom drama in meticulous fact, making the title a perennial favourite for book clubs, sporting gift hampers and true-crime libraries. Secure this readable, collectible copy now and discover why Alan Tripp’s audacious life remains a master-class in risk, resilience and reinventing the rules before the rules reinvent you.
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