Tabcorp has announced that it will roll out live, in-play betting via its app in pubs and clubs across New South Wales. The launch, approved by state regulators, marks the first time Australians will be able to place live sports bets digitally inside licensed venues by tapping their phones on physical terminals in venues.
The pilot, spearheaded by CEO Gillon McLachlan, will begin in two pubs on Thursday, with plans to expand to 20 venues in the coming weeks to help determine if a national roll-out is viable.
“I believe this is the future of wagering,” McLachlan told investors at the Macquarie Australia Conference, declaring strong interest from the company’s 3,700 retail partners across five states and territories.
In-play betting—placing bets after a game or match has commenced—has traditionally been tightly restricted in Australia, permitted only through phone calls or face-to-face channels due to concerns about gambling harm. Until now, just 4 per cent of Tabcorp’s turnover has come from in-play betting, a stark contrast to the 54 per cent figure in the US.
By enabling live betting via app in licensed venues, McLachlan is aiming to ‘take the friction out’ of the process and modernise Tabcorp’s retail-heavy model. “We don’t need to own the AFL rights, we don’t need to own the NRL rights. We can talk through your screen, through data,” he said.
“People thought that’s a passive and old part of Tabcorp,” he said. “In an increasingly regulated world with a great partnership, we can think about changing structural economics and the way people think about retail.”
The announcement comes as Tabcorp flagged another round of job cuts, with McLachlan confirming that 50 roles will go this week, bringing total redundancies under his tenure to around 300. “I don’t sugarcoat,” he said. “I am clear with the staff that will be the end of the changes for a minimum of 18 months.”
Despite the cost-cutting, the market reacted positively to the in-play push, with Tabcorp shares jumping nearly 10 per cent on Tuesday.
A Regulatory Grey Zone
The timing of Tabcorp’s live betting trial is significant, as it arrives in the midst of mounting scrutiny around wagering practices and regulatory enforcement. Rival bookmaker Sportsbet is currently facing a class action lawsuit over its “Fast Code” service, which allegedly enabled illegal in-play betting on sporting events.
“We believe that Sportsbet’s use of the Fast Code service is not just an attempt to circumvent important laws aiming to prevent gambling harm, it is also illegal,” said Maurice Blackburn principal Elizabeth O’Shea. The legal action, launched in the Victorian Supreme Court, is seeking refunds for customers who used the service over the past six years.
While Tabcorp’s venue-based app approach technically complies with current regulations due to its retail licensing, the product’s expected personalisation features, targeting offers based on local venues and preferred teams, will likely attract further scrutiny from harm minimisation advocates.
Political Pressure and Advertising Backlash
The federal government had previously signalled its intention to curb gambling advertising, with Communications Minister Michelle Rowland proposing a ban on ads during live sports and tighter controls across radio, TV, and digital. However, these reforms were shelved until after the federal election, reportedly due to lobbying from media giants, sports leagues, and betting firms.
Nevertheless, some state governments are pushing ahead. NSW recently announced a total ban on gambling advertising across public transport, removing over $30 million worth of ads from trains, buses, and stations in the next 12 months.
In this uncertain climate, McLachlan’s live betting initiative puts Tabcorp squarely in the crosshairs of Australia’s evolving gambling policy debate. His strategy to revitalise the wagering giant through “changing structural economics” is bold, but whether regulators, public sentiment, and political winds will allow it to thrive remains to be seen.
