Tabcorp chairwoman Dwyer calls for national regulation
Paula Dwyer claims a consistent and national approach to regulation would deliver a better outcome for Australia's government
Tabcorp chairwoman Paula Dwyer has called for Australia to adopt a national approach to wagering regulation, rather than the current state-governed system.
Dwyer claimed switching to a more consistent and nationalised approach is in the interests of the domestic racing industry and would deliver a better outcome for the Australian government.
Betting in the country is currently regulated on a state-by-state basis with licensing agreements that see operators share a percentage of wagering proceeds. Tabcorp holds the lucrative NSW and Victorian licences, which amount to 42% of the entire Australian gaming industry.
Through wagering returns and contribution from its media and international business, the operator paid more than AU$725m to the Australian racing industry in 2013, equivalent to approximately eight cents of every dollar wagered through the TAB on a totalisator bet.
Dwyer compared these contributions to those from licensees in the country’s Northern Territory, which has a different regulatory regime, wherein one or two cents of every dollar wagered is contributed towards the racing industry.
“These differences have adverse impacts on the community and the racing industry,” Dwyer said.
The chairwoman also criticised the Northern Territory’s attitude towards credit betting, with all other Australian jurisdictions prohibiting or strictly limiting the practice. Licenced operators based in the Northern Territory offer credit to customers regardless of their location.
Australia’s new federal government has subsequently outlined a policy which would effectively prohibit credit betting across Australia as part of a wider clampdown on gambling practices, particularly in relation live-odds advertisements.
“As Australian racing’s most substantial financial contributor, we want to work with the federal government in addressing inconsistencies in Australian wagering regulation,” Dwyer added.
“Tabcorp is committed to working with the various governments, regulators and our stakeholder partners to ensure a fairer and harmonised approach to wagering is implemented in Australia.”