Triple J Hottest 100 2015: Betting controversy mars Australia’s annual music countdown

As music fans eagerly anticipate the songs that will be included in Triple J Hottest 100 2015 countdown, the Australian radio station expressed its displeasure over the ongoing bet on the world’s biggest music poll.

Voting for the Triple J Hottest 100 2015 Countdown will close on Friday. The winning songs will be revealed on Tuesday, Jan. 26, coinciding with the celebration of Australia Day.

Months before online voting for the music poll opened, ads from gambling sites such as Sportsbet.com have popped up in social media, offering bonus bets if users take a punt on the Hottest 100.

While there are no specific laws being violated in betting on the outcome of the music poll, Triple J has stated that it doesn’t support this kind of activity. The radio station also expressed concern that the gambling companies are specifically targeting its listeners, who are mostly from the younger set and are “at a very vulnerable point of their lives financially.”

“We don’t encourage people to bet on the Hottest 100. If you’ve got some spare money, you should donate it to our partner charity, the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience,” Triple J manager Chris Scaddan said in a statement. “We can guarantee you that that will go to a positive cause. It’ll make you feel better about yourself than betting on the Hottest 100 will.”

Scaddan also cautioned the radio station’s listeners that taking a punt on the Hottest 100 ultimately means giving away their money to the betting company. However, he also said he thinks that the majority of Triple J listeners are smart enough to see through campaigns like this.

Betting site Oddschecker has revealed the bettor’s favourites in Triple J Hottest 100. Topping the charts is Kendrick Lamar‘s “King Kunta,” followed by “Lean On” by Major Lazer and DJ Snake feat. MO, and The Rubens’ “Hoops.” Rounding up the top 10 list are: The Weeknd’s “Can’t Feel My Face,” Tame Impala’s “Let It Happen,” Marcus Marr and Chet Faker’s “The Trouble With Us,” “The Less I Know The Better,” Jarryd James’ “Do You Remember,” Drake’s “Hotline Bling” and Violent Soho’s “Like Soda.”

Last year, the annual poll also faced a controversy when it disqualified Taylor Swift from its list. According to Triple J, it opted to ban the American singer because of a social media campaign to get “Shake It Off” to the top of the chart. Australia electronic musician Chet Faker topped last year’ list with his song “Talk Is Cheap,” and two of his other songs were also included in the poll.

The Triple J Hottest 100, touted as "the world's greatest music democracy," attracts over half a million votes every year. The poll’s voters have grown from 500,000 in 2004 to 2.03 million in 2014.