Tab privatisation

Fastmoney · November 2014

Racing radio tomorrow at 8.10am.

Ray Gunston and Michael Grant on.

Pandora · November 2014

Lite weight interview from one today spent hours reading it and profoundly announced the biggest message out of it was the industry couldn't be worse off

Well stuff me that was deep!

DamienWyer · November 2014

Maybe they were just trying to get invited to the dance ?

IntoIt · November 2014

My impression is that there is nothing to worry about, so long as the industry "locks in" whatever, whatever that is. That is what Mr Gunston wants us to beleive.

And i reckon they will sell sooner rather than later espicially as the figures are good right now, and attractive to the buyer. Any dip and the value will deteriorate.

The problem i see if racing starts costing the government/the public, their not going to like it..........forking out for racing will be as popular as whips and horse deaths in racing .

TheDiva · November 2014

we cant be satisfied with what we are getting now. As Mr Gunston said yesterday, the funding model at the moment works, but its "fragile".

any significant decrease in turnover (revenue) and the whole thing would fall apart.

We need to be trying to get a better deal with the new buyer of the TAB... or at least the same with some possibility for upside.

Fastmoney · February 2015

https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/26220304/no-reason-to-sell-tab-race-chief/

SuperSnoop · February 2015

I would agree the TAB should not be sold but it needs to be RUN like a private company. start with the top guy and a complete clean out of all the dead wood pseudo government plebs. put in employees who will perform and increase the return to the industry.

Aquanita · February 2015

Given that the WA TAB has the highest rate of return to the industry nationally after allowing for differing state tax rates, what would you do to improve this Snoop.

SuperSnoop · February 2015

employ top people to run the show, get rid of the dead wood public servant attitude. Employ top marketing and IT people. Improve the online experience. Gunston said himself we were in catch up mode, hence the abnormal growth of the wa tab but that was going to stop once we had caught up. other privately run corporate bookmakers put the rwwa experience to shame. so if the tab doesnt get sold, thats fine, but make the place ship shape, improve the service, cut the costs, employ good people and put them on incentives to grow the business, just like private enterprise does.

i guarantee you there are stunning improvements that can be made in that joint.

finally, remove the policing and integrity of racing from under the same umbrella. that is a shocking conflict.

Fastmoney · February 2015

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-25/tab-sale-could-raise-1-billion-dollars-colin-barnett-says/6262466

RIO · February 2015

sounds like a captains call....not been discussed by cabinet!!!!!

Aquanita · February 2015

One thing I can state categorically is that for the TAB to be worth $1bn the local industry would not continue to receive the level of support that it currently does.

If a new operator paid that amount of money they could afford or justify the current rate of return to the racing industry.

Legless · February 2015

How much a year does the Government rake in from the TAB?

1bill sounds like a lot of spondula - however in reality in how many years will they be at a loss?

Is the short term cash gain worth the long term loss?

Reading the report @Fastmoney linked to - sounds like he is still smarting about being rejected.
He cant be trusted - have a look at the state of the economy since he took over the reins.

watchingu · February 2015

In the article link posted ... Barnett says the industry is in difficulty ?

His scenario is to have Perth Racing close a track and Government to sell the TAB ?
All monies go to building a new track in an outer metro area , making it i assume harder for the ` low crowds ' to attend ?

So a TAB sale is for the purpose of having one track closed and a new track built with great facilities in an out of town location that makes it too hard for ` low crowds ' to attend and the revenue from the TAB sale not actually contribute to the state`s growing debt caused by poor governance ?

No mention from him as to how the Industry will then be funded after his scenario idea .

Have i interpreted that article correctly ?? if i have well then im quite happy being back in the 60`s !

thefalcon · February 2015

they CANNOT sell the TAB. i'd cross the floor to labour if they guaranteed a no sale policy.
john McGrath must have some pull.
my cousin is very close to the Libs..i'll have a word in her ear.
be worth squat but .......

DustyCarpet · February 2015

And the rest of Australian Horse Racing industry is suffering from privatisation???? I don't think Perth as any other options because this is a dying sport and only Asia can prop it up. The sales in Perth where the worst in Australia, is it the economy or poor breeding? We can keep heading down the same track and sell off assets to pay for the losses or do the right thing. WATC had a lot of assets but they have been selling them for years to pay for the loses, including the St Georges Tce property?

We can make the choice as members if we want it to survive.

RIO · February 2015

I'm very happy for the funding arm of RWWA to be separated from the integrity and enforcement arm of RWWA.....Not sure I'd agree that we need to sell the TAB, but i wish those two division were not managed by the one department..... Until i see the detail in the devil of how the funding of the industry would be post sale, i'll reserve my decision of whether i am for or against the sale.

thefalcon · February 2015

very true, rio......bisect it.
but I fear it would cause internal problems...they are a govt. dept. afterall and we all know they fight like cats in a sack between themselves.
does the boss of one arm earn more than the other, who has the best car, whos closer to colin..the list goes on.

thefalcon · February 2015

track closures, linc? what tracks?
ffs don't say ascot...or broome or BC4E will suicide.... :))

LuckyLongshots · March 2015

Good article from Tom Percy:

http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/opinion/writing-on-the-wall-for-wa-cash-cow-tab/story-fnhocuug-1227262396580

Ridersonthestorm33 · March 2015

Tom has hit the nail on the head. Great article 100% in agreeance.

SuperSnoop · March 2015

this line says it all but the bloke at the top will tell you how good he is, how good the TAB are going and about all their good initiatives. wonderwalls, filling out tickets on yoru phone, mobile app etc. reality is, they are nowhere near the ball game. it could do so much better with the right blokes in charge.

Unless wholesale changes are made that enable the TAB in its current format to compete aggressively with the sort of product offered by its more entrepreneurial competitors, it will continue to struggle and go downhill.

And that will probably leave the Government no option but to sell, which would be an enormous pity on many levels.

paraletic · March 2015

they are not in the same ballpark (TAB v corporates)

I just cant see why the TAB cant make it more commercial, they are making it harder for people to give them money.

The protest payout gets me!!!

Fastmoney · March 2015

Not exactly a level playing field.

Corporates (especially BET365) offer far more than any of the TAB`s simply because they quickly ban winning punters.

Basically the corporates are offering enticements that aren`t sustainable without banning winners.

The focus should be on legislating the Corporates against banning punters and limiting bets.

While some of Percy`s article has merit, his comparison regarding protest payouts and "best tote" is hardly a fair one when he chooses to exclude the Corporates propensity to ban winning punters.

SuperSnoop · March 2015

Fastmoney said:
Not exactly a level playing field.

Corporates (especially BET365) offer far more than any of the TAB`s simply because they quickly ban winning punters.

Basically the corporates are offering enticements that aren`t sustainable without banning winners.

The focus should be on legislating the Corporates against banning punters and limiting bets.

While some of Percy`s article has merit, his comparison regarding protest payouts and "best tote" is hardly a fair one when he chooses to exclude the Corporates propensity to ban winning punters.

dont kid yourself if you think TAB doesnt ban and limit punters. Both wa tab and victab.

Fastmoney · March 2015

Never said they TAB didn`t ban punters but it is an exception rather than the norm.

With the Corporates, banning winners is part of their business model.

There are plenty of punters on here but I would doubt any are banned from fixed odds on the TAB`s but there would be plenty who have been banned by the Corporates.

Winsumlosesum · March 2015

The Premier said he held fears for the future of the thoroughbred industry if Ascot or Belmont was not closed down for redevelopment into just one all-year-round major racing headquarters and a brand new complex in the outer metropolitan area.

But Mr Barnett said he believed the industry was at a turning point, mooting the development of a new state-of-the-art horse racing complex and training track in Jandakot if the TAB, valued as high as $1 billion, was sold.

“I am not trying to push people one way or the other on the TAB privatisation. But this is the one big roll of the dice for racing,” he said.

“If the TAB is privatised, racing could arguably get a lump of that money. We have not made any offers. At the moment, I’m just encouraged that people in the industry are looking at the future.

“As it is, I don’t think the future is very positive, I honestly don’t, and I want to see racing continue, it’s a big employer and the only traditional Australian sport.”

Carlosa · March 2015

Key quote: "racing could arguably get a lump of that money".

The debate is pointless until we know what amount of the sale funds will go to fund the infrastructure/plans he refers to.

ColourfulRD · March 2015

the falcon said:
they CANNOT sell the TAB. i'd cross the floor to labour if they guaranteed a no sale policy.
john McGrath must have some pull.
my cousin is very close to the Libs..i'll have a word in her ear.
be worth squat but .......

McGrath was/is the main supporter of selling the TAB. For a bloke who made his living out of Racing he has a very short memory

Rodent · March 2015

Is the government really good at running the TAB? Could private enterprise run it better? For the right price, is it necessarily a bad thing?

Fastmoney · March 2015

Rodent said:
Is the government really good at running the TAB? Could private enterprise run it better? For the right price, is it necessarily a bad thing?

There is a difference between running the TAB better and what is returned to participants.

Would be almost certain the TAB would be run better but SA and TAS racing are examples of what you end up with after TAB privatization. Vic, NSW and QLD have all either had pokie revenue, tax relief or government handouts to maintain their position.

With no pokie revenue and little chance of tax relief or government handouts, WA would end up closer to the SA and TAS examples.

G'day Punter!

In this Discussion

Who's Online

Tab privatisation

Comments