Federal Group, the oldest casino business in Australia finds itself fighting against change as the government moves to end its exclusive licence in Tasmania. Although this change is intended to happen within the next two years, the operator claims it cannot go forward as it has received no such communication from the government.

Federal Group is responsible for opening Australia’s first legal casino in 1973. Over the past 50 years, it alone has held a license for Tasmania’s electronic gaming machines (EGM).

The 2003 Deed between the Crown and Federal Group specifies a Rolling Term that “ensures the company is provided with at least four years’ notice of any changes to the arrangements.” The agreement further stipulates that the earliest date any new gaming provisions can be applied is 1 July 2026; however, Tasmania’s Liberal government is seeking to end the group’s monopoly by 1 July 2023.

A Federal Group representative commented, saying,

 “We would urge the Tasmanian Government to remove the proposed amendment and to end the 2003 Deed of Agreement at the conclusion of the rolling term period, therefore honouring the terms of the 2003 deed.”

The company added that in addition to annulling the deed, the proposed changes would “remove the capacity for any compensation to be payable to a party.” A new report projects that the group is predicted to lose close to $25m per year, nearly a quarter of its 2018-19 takings of $108m.

Making its case, The Tasmanian Government said,

“The legislation, which will be introduced into the Parliament later this year, implements the government’s policy which was clear that the new arrangements would start in 2023 and Federal Group supported this policy at the 2018 election.”​

Tabcorp CEO David Attenborough is among numerous voices in the Australian gambling industry calling for harsher regulations on gambling advertising, particularly during prime time. This was the position he presented during a recent meeting with a parliamentary committee.

Attenborough stated,

“One is that they should look at restricting wagering advertising, particularly around live sporting events between the hours of 06.30  and 08.30, where exposure to children is heightened. We’ve seen this done in the UK. It’s a classic way of trying to reduce the impact on the young.”

He also backed a ‘siren-to-siren’ ban that would prohibit gambling ads or odds promotion during the broadcast of sports matches. These measures echo those employed by the Betting and Gaming Council in the United Kingdom.

The status quo

Current regulations restrict the advertising of betting and gambling products on shows with a G classification or lower. This restriction applies from 06:00 to 08:30 and from 16:00 to 19:00. An additional ban during children’s programming from 05:00 to 08.30 also exists, but sports broadcasts are exempt from these restrictions.

Questioned motives

Tabcorp’s stated noble intentions have, however, drawn suspicion and allegations of ulterior motives from some quarters.

Some have accused Tabcorp of being motivated by its incapability to match its competition’s advertising spend. Over the last two years, for example, TAB has spent $64.9 million on gambling advertising, far less than the $99.6 million spent by Ladbrokes and the $112.8 million expended by Sportsbet.

This gap in advertising spend frames an intriguing hypothesis, but there is no evidence in favour of that argument.

A chorus of voices

Tabcorp’s crusade is far from a solo one with other Australian companies lining up to lend their weight to prime-time television advertising bans.

The representative body for online bookmakers, Responsible Wagering Australia, has publicly leaned towards working with the government to develop an evolved framework for iGaming advertising.

Reverend Tim Costello, the chief advocate for the Alliance for Gambling Reform stated that a complete ban on TV gambling ads is the most efficient route, but more conservative measures would also help.

Tabcorp’s history

Tabcorp is the biggest supplier of Keno, lotteries, gaming and wagering products in Australia. The company boasts a staff complement of over 5 000 employees and is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.

Tabcorp, in its current form, has existed since 2017, when Tabcorp Holdings Limited merged with the Tatts Group. Both businesses were originally founded in the early 1960s with the founding of TAB Qld and the Totalisator Agency Board (TAB).

The company’s flagship product is The Lott, the top Australian lottery that awards billions to fortunate hopefuls every year. The firm holds numerous lottery brands across over 3700 locations. Some of the company’s more well-known brands include Lotto, TattsLotto, Oz Lotto, Powerball, XLotto, and Gold Lott.

Tabcorp is constantly expanding its brand line with offerings like Scratch-Its, a speedier substitute for weekly drawings.​

B2B gaming supplier Push Gaming recently announced the network-wide release Mount Magmas, the developer’s first-ever jackpot pokie, via LeoVegas.

The one operator will now release the title to all its partners across regulated markets following a phenomenally successful initial exclusive launch. Partners like Rootz, Vera & John and Intercasino will now have access to the game as part of the network-wide release.

Plunge into the depths of the boiling Mount Magmas, and claim the randomly-triggered fiery volcano jackpots that increase in intensity. The pokie adopts a 20 payline, 5×4 reel format with both a Daily and a Mega jackpot complementing the engaging base game.

The Daily Jackpot runs for a limited time every day while you could win the Mega Jackpot at any time, but it will drop once it hits a set amount. Operators will enjoy the flexibility of being able to schedule jackpot amounts, so the experience may differ from site to site.

When Magma Rocks appear on the reels, they will be collected in a Jackpot Volcano and the anticipation of scorching bonus feature payout builds as you spin. When the volcano erupts, you will enter the Volcano Bonus Feature, where you could claim a Jackpot or an Instant Prize worth up to 20,000x your stake.

James Marshall, the CEO at Push Gaming said,

“Mount Magmas is another great production offering huge win potential and we’re delighted to be launching it globally after its time with our valued partner LeoVegas. This is also a significant milestone for Push Gaming, with the title being our first Jackpots game, combined with it offering must-drop and timed Jackpots. We’re looking forward to building on this in future releases.”

Push Gaming celebrated its 10^th birthday recently, observing its numerous milestones like the acquisition of its MGA and UKGC-licensed platform in 2020.

The company operates across most of Europe’s crucial regulated markets, partnering with the likes of Casumo, LeoVegas, GVC, William Hill, The Rank Group, and Norsk Tipping.​