Sportingbet and Tabcorp receive Australian approvals

19Mar 2013

Sportingbet

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has proposed granting sportsbetting operator Sportingbet Australia Party Limited permission to offer fixed-odds management services to Racing and Wagering Western Australia.

The fair trade proponent has issued a draft determination proposing that Sportingbet be authorised to manage the odds books for the sole licensed parimutuel wagering operator for the state of Western Australia for the next five years.

“The ACCC considers that enabling Racing and Wagering Western Australia to acquire fixed-odds management services from Sportingbet will allow Racing and Wagering Western Australia to provide a greater range of wagering services and improve efficiency,” said Michael Schaper, Deputy Chairman for the ACCC.

“Numerous betting exchanges and corporate bookmakers in Australia and overseas competing with Racing and Wagering Western Australia and Sportingbet for wagering customers are likely to continue to drive pricing in the industry. Racing and Wagering Western Australia and Sportingbet will also remain free to set their prices independently.”

In a similar announcement, the ACCC has additionally conditionally ruled that Tabcorp Wagering Manager (Victoria) Party Limited be authorised to provide fixed-odds wagering management services to Canberra operator ACT TAB Limited.

This finding would see Tabcorp able to provide ACT TAB with the same fixed-odds wagering services it supplies to punters in the neighbouring state of New South Wales in return for management fees.

“The ACCC considers that the agreement will enable ACT TAB to supply fixed-odds wagering services to its customers that it may not otherwise be able to provide,” said Schaper.

“Competitive detriments are likely to be small due to the significant presence of betting exchanges and corporate bookmakers in Australia and overseas who compete with ACT TAB and Tabcorp for customers and drive pricing in relation to fixed-odds wagering.”