Harare — The Premier Soccer League is set to generate more funds this season after signing a betting deal with the Mashonaland Turf Club.

Under the deal inked yesterday at the Borrowdale Racecourse, the betting house will randomly select PSL matches for punters to place bets on from each weekend's fixture programme.

The minimum bet is $10 million and the football pool can be played at any of the 55 MTC branches countrywide.

A percentage of the turnover will then be paid to the PSL with the league's chairman Tapuwa Matangaidze pointing out that the league will in turn disburse the money to their clubs as grants.

"The MTC will pick teams at random. From the money paid by the punters, the Government, through the Lotteries and Gaming Board, will take a certain percentage that will go towards charity.

"It is also from this money that prizes will be paid from as well as administration fees.

"The PSL will also get a certain percentage that I am not at liberty to reveal now.

"As the PSL, we will give the money to our clubs, probably at the end of each month, so that this becomes a direct benefit.

"So all clubs will share a flat amount no matter a club is chosen for betting more times than another within a month," said Matangaidze.

He said professional soccer betting was big business in countries like South Africa where its generates huge amounts of money to the Premiership there.

PSL treasurer Oliver Manyau said the coming in of MTC was a sign that football was a good brand.

"We want to thank MTC for agreeing to partner the PSL.

"It will be for the good of the game and I encourage all our clubs to continue from last year when the league was smoothly run.

"If we continue to run the league well, sponsors will come," said Manyau.

MTC chief executive officer Shingi Tanyanyiwa said the strategic partnership between the PSL and MTC would add an exciting dimension to football.

"Soccer betting is not really a new concept for soccer fans have been doing it, though informally. "What we are doing is formalising and professionally packaging it with the added advantage of good dividends.

"With effect from March 15th 2008, we will be offering betting on the local Premiership. "A percentage of the turnover will be paid to the PSL," said Tanyanyiwa. There are various betting options with the first being Strike One that requires the punter to predict the winner of a selected match based on the full-time score.

The second option is Double Strike where the punter predicts results of two designated matches based on the full-time scoreline.

The third option is Strike Six where one has to predict the outcome of six designated matches based on four options being home team wins, no-score draw, a score draw or away team wins. For this weekend, the MTC will is inviting punters for Strike One and Double Strike matches for four Premiership matches, the first being CAPS United's clash against Dynamos at Gwanzura and then Highlanders' meeting with Sundowns at Barbourfields.

Masvingo United's tie with Lengthens at Mucheke and CAPS FC's game against Eastern Lions at Dzivaresekwa have been included on the inaugural bets. In addition to the PSL betting, MTC continues to run bets for the English Premiership.