 In the decades before the recent liberalisation of the laws governing poker machines, casinos and other forms of gambling, betting on horse and greyhound racing was the only legal outlet for gambling in Australia (other than government-run lotteries).As a result, horse racing (and to a lesser extent dog racing) provided one of the few legitimate means by which those involved in organised crime could easily launder money earned from their illegal enterprises.Because betting with on-track bookmakers could not be easily scrutinised by law enforcement or taxation authorities, it was relatively easy for such people to claim that any large sums of money they might possess had been won on a lucky bet, and it was extremely difficult for the authorities to prove otherwise.