Tabcorp chief calls for national gambling regulator

Adam Rytenskild, the CEO of Tabcorp, has urged for the creation of a unified regulatory framework at the national level to promote fairness in the wagering industry and improve the effectiveness of enforcement measures.

Rytenskild told industry representatives on Wednesday that the existing state-based regulatory system no longer provided adequate community protection measures. Under the current system, which he called a “patchwork quilt”, his company is licensed in seven states and territories, while most online bookmakers only need a license in the Northern Territory.

“Our regulators do great work but are constrained by not having a nationally consistent, well-resourced framework,” Rytenskild said.

“Instead, we have a patchwork quilt system with different rules and regulations across each state. It has allowed foreign online bookmakers to be licensed in the Northern Territory and this has contributed to the proliferation of gambling advertising across our screens.

“The state-based licensing and regulatory regimes were established more than 20 years ago and they haven’t kept pace with the changing wagering ecosystem which has been disrupted.”

READ: Tabcorp takes aim at online bookies in market share grab

Rytenskild said the current regulatory framework guiding wagering operators in Australia was 20 years old and no longer fit for purpose.

Even if the federal government does not take action, Tabcorp has pledged to decrease its television advertisements. Rytenskild believes that Australian families deserve to enjoy live sports without constant exposure to gambling advertising.

He advocates for a ban on gambling advertisements on free-to-air television from 6:30am to 8:30pm. If the government cannot agree on such restrictions, Tabcorp, he said, will voluntarily refrain from advertising during these prime-time hours. 

More gambling news