It didn't bode well for the press conference of colourful gambling figure Eddie Hayson when his PR agent Max Markson pointed out that the venue - the Intercontinental's Premier's Room – was once the office of Premier Robert Askin.
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The fact that Premier Askin was notoriously corrupt was not mentioned.
The former brothel owner had called the press conference to quash allegations that he was involved in match-fixing. Instead, Mr Hayson blamed all his troubles on rogue journalists and suggested the police had established a strike force because they had sold the media "a lemon" with regard to the match fixing claims.
But by the end of the hour-long press conference Mr Hayson had raised many more questions about his dubious betting antics.
For instance, not only does he use other people to disguise his betting activities but he confirmed that earlier this year he tried to put $30,000 cash into the betting account of troubled football star Kieran Foran.
He also admitted betting on every Parramatta game this year, but stopped when his friend Foran quit the Eels due to health issues.
Although he denied betting "one dollar" on the two 2015 Manly matches under scrutiny, he confessed that he was behind the $18,000 wager in April this year on Parramatta to beat Manly by more than five points.
Fairfax Media has previously revealed that the $45,000 win from that initial bet was then successfully plunged on a Gold Coast horse race, netting Mr Hayson's syndicate, which included Kieran Foran's brother Liam, $92,000.
Mr Hayson denied that Kieran Foran, who played in the match in question, received $2000 from the series of bets. Instead, he suggested that Foran's brother Liam had given him funds from a different source.
Mr Hayson admitted there were others who wagered on that match on his behalf but he didn't have their names in front of him, he told the media conference.
Then there was the admission he provided free sex to footballers and jockeys when he owned the brothel. But the sex wasn't in return for inside information – which Mr Hayson was adamant does not exist in league circles.
"No, it was a way of promoting my business…word of mouth is a very powerful tool," he said.
He also confirmed that he had paid for Manly's Brett Stewart and embattled jockey Danny Nikolic to holiday with him in Las Vegas, but he was quick to say they later paid him back.
Mr Hayson, who entered into a personal insolvency agreement in 2014 after he incurred debts of $52 million associated with his brothel Stiletto, also admitted he owes money all round town including a sizeable amount to former boxer Jeff Fenech.
He said he'd been on a winning streak recently which no doubt provided him with the several thousand dollars to hire the conference venue and even more for Mr Markson's fees.
The big-time punter admitted he was so flush with cash last year he gave $60,000 to Mark Buddle only a month after the former national president of the Comanchero bikie gang was released from jail.
Why? "Because I like him…he's a friend. I like him and I respect him."
According to fellow media spinner Anthony McClellan, when anyone is continually described in the media as a 'colourful character' his advice is to avoid the press.
"With all respect to Eddie, sometimes one's credibility is in direct proportion to one's 'colourfulness'. Often the hardest advice for a client to accept is to just shut up."
