Australian gambling giant Tabcorp and the operator of the national lottery, Lottoland, have been granted 20-year licences by the Government of the state of Victoria. Under the operating permit, the two companies will be officially allowed to offer keno games on the territory of the state.
The provisions of the licences provide Tabcorp and Lottoland Australia with the right to roll out keno products as of April 15th, 2022. The operating permits expire in April 2042.
The two gambling companies will be able to extend their retail and online keno game and products to customers residing in Victoria State. The operating permits have come as a crucial step towards the liberalisation of the local gambling market, as they represent the first time when a state Government in Australia has issued not one but two dual licences under which the operation of both retail and online gambling products is officially allowed.
So far, state Governments across the country have only examined operators and issued operating permits on an individual basis. This is the first time when two companies received dual licences allowing them to offer in-person and digital gambling products and services to the residents of Victoria.
Tabcorp Could Have an Advantage as an Experienced Keno Provider
As a result of the move, Tabcorp will now start facing some competition because, until now, it was the only gambling company that was officially permitted to offer retail keno products to Victorian residents.
According to reports, the licence cost was worth AU$60 million, but it is now expected to go up against the subsidiary of the national lottery, Lottoland Australia.
Previously, Tabcorp has been seeking further liberalisation of the sector and even decided to return its licence and reapply for one, saying that a larger number оf operators should be allowed to offer such services in the state on the occasion of the Keno Licence Review that was held by the Victorian competent authorities last year. Both Tabcorp and Lottoland are now content with how things worked out.
Sue van der Merwe, the managing director of Tabcorp, said that the company met the news gladly, as it was pleased to be once again granted an operating licence that expanded the scope of its services in the state of Victoria. The new structure is set to allow Tabcorp to continue providing local customers with a first-class keno product and to extend its offering and brand presence in the Victorian gambling market.
Arguably, Tabcorp could hold an advantage in Victoria, as it has also offered a similar product in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), and the states of New South Wales (NSW), South Australia and Queensland.
The CEO of Lottoland, Nigel Birrell, also welcomed the new opportunity given to his company by the local Government. He revealed that his company intends to roll out its KenoGo brand very soon, and Victorian customers will be able to access the product online.
- Author
Olivia Cole
