We are responsible for advising the NSW Government in relation to wagering policy, associated legislation, and strategies for reducing gambling harm.
We closely monitor fixed odds and totalizator betting to ensure the integrity of wagering and commitment to responsible practices. Our aim is to protect the interests of the betting public as well as the betting industry and the government's revenue.
Wagering on sport, racing and declared betting events in NSW is conducted by TAB Limited and licensed NSW and interstate betting service providers. TAB Limited is licensed under the Totalizator Act 1997 to conduct totalizator and fixed odds wagering. TAB Limited is the exclusive provider of off-course retail betting services in NSW.
Betting service providers in NSW operate on racecourses and are licensed by the racing controlling bodies. Only individuals or a proprietary company can apply to conduct betting on the racecourse.
Licensed betting service providers who want to conduct betting by phone, internet or on declared betting events, must apply to Liquor & Gaming NSW (L&GNSW). They may also need similar approvals from the racing controlling bodies. With the appropriate approvals, betting service providers can also offer these services in a betting office located on the racecourse or in a premises located away from the racecourse.
Licensed betting service providers are expected to consider both the intent of Government policy and the expectations of the community when providing wagering services. They must not conduct themselves in a manner that could reasonably be expected to cause harm.
Licensed betting service providers who fail to meet the expectations of L&GNSW will be subject to enforcement action. This may include L&GNSW taking action against their electronic betting authorities and referring any poor conduct observed to the racing controlling bodies and other regulators where appropriate.
Industry Alert
L&GNSW issued an industry alert on 5 December 2023, after identifying numerous examples of poor conduct by licensed betting service providers and receiving an increasing number of complaints from consumers. The alert provides a non-exhaustive list of examples of the types of unacceptable conduct observed.
L&GNSW is particularly concerned by behaviours that have the potential to cause harm, and expects licensed betting service providers to stop engaging in such conduct immediately.
The alert also outlines the steps L&GNSW will take to address the conduct.
The Minister for Racing has the ability to declare events that licensed betting service providers and TAB Limited are able to accept bets on. This can be any type of event or class of event, including sporting events but does not include a race or any event related to racing. The Minister for Racing can also prescribe the type of bets allowed on these events.
Licensed betting service providers and TAB Limited must adhere to rules approved by the Minister for Racing when accepting bets on declared betting events. These rules include general conditions that must be met when offering betting markets as well as event specific conditions and definitions.
Read:Bookmaker Declared Betting Events Betting Rules PDF, 682.03 KB
A licensed betting service provider (including TAB Limited) who holds an authority to conduct approved betting events may submit an application to the Minister for Racing to:
The applicant is required to pay an application fee, and include information on:
Minister will take into consideration the following matters when determining whether to make the order:
Read: Declared betting events PDF, 151.53 KB for further details on application requirements including how to apply to remove a bet type for a sporting event.
Additional application requirements for sporting events
If an application involves a sporting event, there are additional requirements to consult with the event organisers or an appropriate representative. These requirements depend on whether the event is overseen by a prescribed sports controlling body.
A list of sports controlling bodies is provided at the bottom of this page. Under the Betting and Racing Act 1998, the Minister must not make the order prescribing the event or bet type if the sports controlling body opposes the making of the order.
If there is a prescribed sports controlling body the applicant must provide:
If there is no prescribed sports controlling body the applicant must provide:
if the sporting event takes place in Australia, evidence that the bookmaker or licensee who has applied for the order has taken reasonable steps to consult with the key persons or bodies involved in the administration of the sporting event, and a summary of the outcome of that consultation.
Below is a list of all prescribed sports controlling bodies in NSW and the events they oversee. All other sporting events are not overseen by a prescribed sports controlling body.
Australian Football League (AFL) is the approved sports controlling body for sports betting on:
The Australian Rugby Union is the approved sports controlling body for sports betting on:
Basketball Australia is approved as the sports controlling body for sports betting on:
Bowls Australia is the approved sports controlling body for sports betting on:
Cricket Australia is the approved sports controlling body and is responsible for any cricket match or competition conducted under the jurisdiction or sponsorship of Cricket Australia.
The National Rugby League is the approved sports controlling body and is responsible for the control and regulation of all matches, either solely or in conjunction with the Australian Rugby League.
Netball Australia is the approved sports controlling body for sports betting on:
Tennis Australia is the approved sports controlling body for sports betting, and is responsible for the control and regulation of all tennis tournaments.
Motorcycling Australia is the approved sports controlling body for Motorcycling events controlled, organised or administered by Motorcycling Australia Limited.
Motorsport Australia is the sports controlling body for Motorsport events controlled, organised or administered by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (trading as Motorsport Australia).
NSW, along with all other states and territories, has implemented the Consistent Gambling Messaging (CGM) measure of the National Consumer Protection Framework for Online Wagering (NCPF).
The CGM measure prescribes messaging requirements for gambling advertisements that are nationally consistent, evidence-informed and platform-specific. These requirements are expected to contribute to gambling harm minimisation.
This measure commenced nationwide on 30 March 2023.
The Commonwealth Government has released national guidance on this measure. L&GNSW has prepared a letter to industry to assist wagering service providers to comply with these requirements.
This letter, the Betting and Racing Regulation 2022, along with the Commonwealth guidance should be read together to understand:
Gambling advertising is a key concern of the community. While advertising more broadly is a matter for the Commonwealth, the NSW Government has recently strengthened its restrictions on gambling advertising in response to these concerns.
NSW has the toughest gambling advertising restrictions and associated penalties in Australia. These restrictions are focused on, but not limited to, inducements to gamble. This approach aims to reduce the significant gambling-related harms that may be caused by gambling inducements.
It is an offence to publish or communicate any inducement to participate, or to participate frequently, in any gambling activity. This includes an inducement to open a betting account. Gambling advertising that contains a disclaimer that the inducement is not available to NSW residents can still be in breach of the law.
These restrictions are focused on betting service providers who are expected to ensure that their advertisements comply with the law. However, an offence may be committed by a broadcaster if they continue to publish an offending advertisement after being notified by Liquor & Gaming NSW that a publication may breach the law.
L&GNSW has prepared guidelines to assist betting service operators comply with these laws.
In addition to the above restrictions, it is an offence to publish gambling advertising that relate to a particular sporting event or fixture that is in progress in NSW. This includes live odds and in-play betting services.
Advertising live odds and in-play betting services may encourage concerning gambling behaviours such as more continuous betting or betting on impulse. These restrictions are focused on reducing the potential impact of these advertisements on the community.
The Commonwealth Government is responsible for regulating broadcast and online advertising. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is the Commonwealth regulator responsible for overseeing commercial advertising, including advertising for betting service providers.
The Commonwealth Government recently strengthened restrictions on gambling advertising during children’s viewing hours. Gambling advertising or promotion of odds is no longer permitted during live sports broadcasts between 5.00am and 8.30pm. This includes online streaming of sporting events. These rules are intended to limit children’s exposure to gambling advertisements.
More details about the rules and exemptions are available on the ACMA website.
