Conman Foster's bail surety in doubt

Convicted conman Peter Foster's bail application has been adjourned after a Sydney judge was told it was uncertain whether a hospitalised man would continue to be his surety.

Justice Julia Lonergan on Thursday agreed to adjourn the application in relation to charges over an alleged $1.5 million sports betting scam.

"Mr Foster sounds like he wants a lot of special arrangements for him in circumstances where he is in a bit of trouble," she commented to his lawyer John Young.

Foster, 54, was arrested in February and in March was refused bail, after a magistrate concluded he presented an unacceptable flight risk.

"The court could have no confidence he would abide with the bail conditions," the magistrate said.

He's accused of using an assumed identity, Mark Hughes, to extract sums of between $100,000 and $1 million from a South African man living in Western Australia who invested in the so-called "Sports Trading Club" in 2013.

In asking for Thursday's Supreme Court application to be adjourned, Mr Young told the judge the main bail issue related to his being found to be a flight risk.

Foster had been living in northern NSW, and his mother and sister live on the Gold Coast.

Foster was prepared to wear an electronic monitoring device, but apparently he would have to live no further north of Sydney than Newcastle for it to be effective, the lawyer said.

A Mr Walker, who lives on the Gold Coast, had previously been prepared to act as his surety, but he had a back injury and had been hospitalised.

"I am sure he will not be able to travel around and look at accommodation (for Foster)," Mr Young said.

In agreeing to the adjournment, Justice Lonergan noted "Mr Walker is unable to provide clear certain instructions as to whether he will be able to continue to be surety".

She adjourned the application for a mention, not before May 29, with a view to setting a new hearing date.