How Neddy's works.

Neddy's is a free-to-play punting club for Aussie horse racing. You and your mates jump into a private room, back the horses on each day's card, and chase the same thing every real-world punter chases — bragging rights at the pub on Monday.

The catch: no real money changes hands. Ever. You bet with points. Win some. Lose some. Talk a lot of trash in the chat.

The season runs Monday through Sunday on Australian Eastern time.

• ▸Monday morning: everyone in the room gets a fresh 50-point bankroll.
• ▸Through the week: back horses on whichever meetings catch your eye. Win or Place. Wagers as small as 1 pt.
• ▸Sunday night: the leaderboard locks. Whoever's on top takes the week. Everyone resets Monday.
• ▸End of month: a champion is crowned. Then we do it all again.

Open today's card. Pick a meeting. Pick a race. Pick a horse. Choose Win (only pays if your horse comes first) or Place (pays if your horse runs first, second, or third — smaller payout, better odds of cashing).

Set your wager (any whole number of points up to your bankroll), hit Lock in. The room sees the pick land in chat instantly. After the race resolves, the result drops in the feed too — wins, losses, the lot.

You can't cancel a pick once a race has jumped. Bet like you'd bet at the TAB, just without the heartbreak when your wallet's involved.

Neddy's isn't a sportsbook. We don't take deposits. We don't pay out. There's no leaderboard prize, no cash stake, no skin in the game beyond your reputation in the room.

Points reset every Monday so a bad week doesn't haunt you. The whole thing is free, forever — that's the deal.

Why bother if there's no money? Because the racing is the good part. The chase, the call, the quaddie that nearly got up. The losing money was the bad part.

Neddy's is for grown-ups (18+) and is meant to be fun. A few ground rules:

• ▸Keep it friendly. Talk trash, don't be a dickhead. Room owners can boot anyone who's ruining it.
• ▸Don't collude. No splitting wagers across accounts to game the leaderboard. We'll spot it.
• ▸If the fun stops, walk away. Even fake punting can dredge up real habits. Talk to Gambling Help Online on 1800 858 858 if you need a hand.