Murray Fish

'Not under my watch' - Minister blocks TAB's $150m casino deal 1:43 pm today Share this Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share via email Share on Reddit Share on Linked In Guyon Espiner, Investigative reporter, In Depth @GuyonEspiner guyon.espiner@rnz.co.nz Photo: RNZ The TAB offered a $150 million deal to the government in a bid to secure a lucrative online casino licence, according to documents obtained by RNZ. The government is auctioning off 15 online casino licences as it regulates online gambling for the first time and local operators fear they'll end up in the hands of foreign owned multinationals and eat into their market share. The TAB, which is a statutory entity, is barred from offering online casino gambling under current laws. It wrote to ministers requesting a law change, saying its viability was under threat if it continued to be locked out of the online casino market. Documents released to RNZ under the Official Information Act show the TAB told Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden that it could offer up a $150 million payment to the government. TAB offered govt $150 million for online casino licence Morning Report19 March 2025 Queue But the deal was knocked back. "Not under my watch," van Velden said when RNZ asked whether she would allow the TAB to seek a licence. "I don't believe that the government should be involved in casino gambling," she said. "I look at the government trying to address the core services that people need in their lives and providing an online service for casino games is not what I think the government should be involved in." The TAB made the offer for an "iGaming" licence in writing to van Velden in December 2023. "It is possible to get a substantial capital payment to the government from selling the rights to iGaming in an exclusive market. We estimate that there is a $150 million capital payment available for an exclusive market where there are one or two providers," the TAB said. The deal would "meet the government's fiscal ambitions," the TAB told van Velden. "The operator could pay approximately NZ$150m upfront for the right to operate the business under a 10-year licence." The TAB declined to be interviewed about the deal but it's understood its proposal could have seen the money paid directly by the TAB or as part of a deal with an international operator. In a statement to RNZ, Racing Minister Winston Peters said he had "received correspondence" regarding the TAB's proposal, but he would not change the law to allow the TAB to run an online casino. "Casino products are fundamentally different to wagering products and the Minister has advised TAB NZ of his expectation that it retains its focus on sports and racing." Racing Minister Winston Peters said he would not change the law to allow the TAB to run an online casino Photo: RNZ / REECE BAKER But the TAB is not giving up and said in a statement to RNZ that it "would like to be considered for a licence and has asked for legislation to be reviewed". Millions in cash for TAB when online monopoly law passes Peters has legislation before Parliament - amendments to the Racing Industry Act - which will extend the TAB's monopoly for sports and race betting to the online environment. The TAB refers to the online monopoly as the "legislative net" and documents released to RNZ under the Official Information Act, show how valuable this is for the TAB and its multi-national business partner Entain. In 2023 the TAB entered into a 25-year partnership with UK betting company Entain, which guaranteed $900 million for the racing industry over five years and a 50-50 revenue sharing deal. In one email to van Velden, the TAB said it wanted the online monopoly in place by April 2024 because it was losing $200 million a year to overseas operators. The TAB said it would get direct payments from Entain when the law, embedding its monopoly for online sports and racing betting, was passed. "A delay in the legislative net is costing TAB NZ approximately $1.5m per month in payments from Entain - funds that will never be recouped," it said. "There is also (the) significant downstream effect of Kiwis aged 18 to 35 being acquired by offshore operators at a greater rate than the TAB." The TAB told van Velden that the law change would see big cash payments from Entain. "We are seeking enactment of the legislative net from April 2024. TAB NZ will immediately receive an additional $100 million from Entain and an increase in minimum guaranteed payments of at least $15million per year from this law change, delivering a material funding uplift to both our racing and sporting partners." Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden said she did not believe that the government should be involved in casino gambling. Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver An Internal Affairs briefing to Peters, written in March 2024 and released to RNZ under the OIA, says it could be a bad look granting an online monopoly to the TAB, given its relationship with Entain. "When the land-based monopoly for TAB NZ was established, it was an entirely not-for-profit entity that distributed its profit to the racing and sports codes," the briefing said. "Since the Entain partnership was entered into in 2023, there is now a 50-50 split with a 'for profit' offshore online operator. Providing a monopoly to TAB NZ could be perceived as providing a global 'for profit' gambling provider a monopoly in New Zealand while sending profits offshore." The briefing said this was made worse by the fact that Entain was facing compliance breaches in Australia "This risk is compounded by the perception issues Entain is facing due to its noncompliance with anti-money laundering (AML) requirements in Australia." Despite those concerns Peters introduced legislation extending the TAB's sports and racing betting monopoly to the online environment last year and it is expected to pass into law by May. TAB gets to keep its pokies The TAB will also get to keep its pokie machines, despite a move by the previous Labour government to remove its Class 4 licence to operate pokies. The previous Labour government said that in return for allowing the TAB to have an online monopoly for sport and racing betting it would have to give up its Class 4 licence which allows it to operate its 415 pokie machines. In a December 2023 email to van Velden the TAB pushed back on the move, saying it would cost the TAB $18.5 million. "The previous government announced an intention to wind-down TAB NZ's Class 4 gaming operation which was not agreed by TAB NZ's board or management. TAB NZ does not support such a change and we seek to retain our Class 4 gaming licence." It said it was a "gold-standard Class 4 gaming operator" and was being "unnecessarily restricted" from rolling out its pokies to venues other than standalone TABs. The TAB has won that argument, with Peters telling RNZ that the TAB can hold on to its pokies. "TAB NZ has proven that it can effectively use Class 4 proceeds to fulfil its commitments to sports organisations and the racing industry and the Minister does not see any need to interrupt this revenue stream."

Some amusement to be had via the dry with of... and insights on feeding and use of Whips!

tick

do you have other clubs handy!

Costs for Advt & Promtions! $448

who selected the challengers? shouldn't it have been open to all clubs? umm, awarded before business cases being presented?

I see at the meeting at Wingatui on 28/3 has 7 races each worth 18,500 and one worth 25,000. On the 23/5 8 races all for 17,000.

Such a 'good looker', I recall him costing me a few bucks as a 3 year old, he really improved with age! I nice trivial question: The best horse that Rohan Mudhoo has ridden is???

tick...

na, this is all part of my slow but steady negating me putting energy into things racing/betting... having said that! I be the accountant in our economic partnership! and as long as partner has plenty of disposable ca$h in her spending purses! she has little interest in the bank acc....

word in my hood: get in big and buy a few yearlings next sale$ and win some of the $$$ on offer! @TAB For Ever is good for %5

reading the small print... Hi Debbie, We have noticed a bank account loaded on to your TAB Account in a different name to your account details, this bank account has now been deactivated. Please ensure moving forward that bank accounts in your name only are loaded to the account and that no third parties have access to your account. Sharing account details with others is a violation of our General Terms and Conditions for Accounts and can result in account suspension or closure. If you are unaware of any third-party activity on your account, please inform us immediately. If you have any questions, please contact compliance@tab.co.nz. Kind Regards, The TAB Support Team (ends) Lesson learnt!

Now there is two ways I could respond here! 1: would you like a compare and contrast any betting acc that you hold v mine? One of the nice things that Etaine has added is a simple History of all bets! Happy to have a bet on that result! 2; that acc I posted is the Mrs, I was keen to see if I could transfer funds (with her permission) from her tab acc to my bank! This/that acc has often had offers, hence the 375 number. It is used almost all Sports (and runs at a profit via the mighty Dodger$) v my acc which turns over Way more and gets very very little offered! 95% Racing. Bonus bets there are usually the ones that they seem to be posting up recently! By chance the Mrs acc was used to put on a $5 bet on Kiwi (so she could be in the bid draw! They gave her a $20 bonus for that! lol! Her bet was DR, I stole the 20 and bet the Hayes horse! After playing with the first acc I went and withdraw x000 95% of what was in there! It appeared quickly in bank acc. Off to the Poolroom soon for me! Literally!

100th G1 would be a decent reason to Lead the Colt back in!

Popped online and when to withdraw xxxx and was told NO, only allow 675.. and going back to get more I got told O allowed...

Can someone explain why there seems to be so many empty seats in the Members stand?

I believe that the 'new' crowd full sigh is put up at that 10,000.

I still have my tab acc # printed out on a old tab ticket! most workers in a tab are impressed by it! ps. those oncourse exchange doubles used to be a fav bet on mine, 50 odd years ago!

I know of another person that had to put with up some serious crap from then and that nasty disgusting postings like those mentioned! It caused them quite a lot of grief! mongrel behavior by those in charge!

Enjoy!

Perhaps down to the coders back with the early Billiton boards were also involved in the early games, which all had cheats built in! Always 'backdoors' if you knew where to look! What happened else where really did poison a site where a lot of people had participated mostly principally, in a share interest in racing! The pace of this place suits me!

Watching the draw show, Team Black&Yellow were generous in their comments about dealing with Team Green, noting Colin's support of Trainer!