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From the West
Queensland-based gambling company Tatts
Group says it has a "strong interest" in buying WA's TAB if the State
Government puts it on the market.
It is the first
time the Tatts Group, which owns the Queensland, South Australian,
Northern Territory and Tasmanian TABs, has confirmed it wants to buy the
WA agency, though it has for some months been considered a likely
bidder.
Tatts Group chief executive Robbie Cooke
said the group had made frequent visits to WA in the past six months to
learn more about the local industry and talk about its capabilities
ahead of a potential sale.
"We are letting people
know we are here, we are talking to people about our active interest so
that if a sale process happens, we would be delighted to participate,"
Mr Cooke said.
He said that if Tatts Group was
successful in buying WA's TAB, it would bring it under UBET, the new
national master brand covering its formerly State-owned wagering
services. UBET would help the former TABs compete with corporate
bookmakers such as tomwaterhouse.com, Mr Cooke said.
TABs
have been losing market share to corporate bookmakers, many based in
the NT, where they are subject to lower licensing fees and do not have
to make industry contributions like TABs.
"You have
one brand that is trying to compete nationally against corporates who
have an unfair competitive advantage in terms of their contribution back
to the industry and therein lies the challenge," Mr Cooke said.
"You need ability to scale off a technology investment on the digital side, you need one website to run across wider geography."
If successful in buying the WA agency, the retail stores would be radically changed.
Mr Cooke said UBET was a big step away from traditional TAB stores.
"It'sabout a digital heavy, interactive heavy, vision-heavy experience and
trying to engage with the younger demographic," he said
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TABs
have been losing market share to corporate bookmakers, many based in
the NT, where they are subject to lower licensing fees and do not have
to make industry contributions like TABs.
"You have one brand that is trying to compete nationally against corporates who
have an unfair competitive advantage in terms of their contribution back
to the industry and therein lies the challenge," Mr Cooke said.
I am more concerned about the "industry contributions" ( or less thereof??)
http://m.couriermail.com.au/sport/superracing/tab-agencies-go-hi-tech-in-tattsbet-vision-for-the-future-of-wagering/story-fnii0njy-1227147165680?nk=192893b2b29dbfae6fbcf20c9125de41