.gif)
Tattersall's (gambling organisation)
Encyclopedia
Tatts Group Limited formerly Tattersall's Limited, is a Victorian lottery
/gaming company
. Tattersall's is licensed to sell lottery related products including Tattslotto, Super 66, Monday & Wednesday Lotto, Super 7's Oz Lotto, The Pools, and Powerball in the Australia
n states of Tasmania
and Victoria
, as well as the Northern Territory
and Australian Capital Territory
. Tattersall's-related products are sold in 900 venues across Tasmania
and Victoria
.
Until 1 July 2008, Tattersall's were also permitted to sell instant 'scratchies', as well as Tatts 2, Tatts Keno and Wednesday Tattslotto.
In October 2006, UNiTAB Limited was merged into Tattersall's Limited. UNiTAB owns the Totalizator Agency Board
s (TABs) in Queensland
, South Australia
and the Northern Territory
, as well as gaming machine monitoring services in Queensland, the Northern Territory, and New South Wales
, under the maxgaming brand. The UNiTAB Limited operations is currently considered a subsidiary of the merged company, separate from the previous Tattersalls operations.
At their Annual General Meeting on 2007-11-30, shareholders approved a resolution changing the name of the merged company to Tatts Group Limited. The lotteries arm of the group will remain under the Tattersall's branding. Its major competitor in the gaming and wagering industry is Tabcorp Holdings Limited
.
In 2010, Tatts purchased NSW Lotteries
from the Government of New South Wales
.
Tatts Group's lotteries division, currently known as Tatts Lotteries, operates lottery games in three states and both internal territories of Australia. The division consists of two entities:
As part of the Australian Lotto Bloc, the Tatts Lotteries entities operate the following national lottery games in their jurisdictions:
In Tattersall's-branded areas, a range of additional games are offered, including Wednesday Tattslotto, a reduced version of Tattslotto played with 40 numbers instead of 45; and the daily Tatts Keno and Tatts Two games. In Queensland, Golden Casket runs Wednesday Gold Lotto as well as a draw lottery, known as Casket, which is drawn approximately seven times a year. Both also offer their own-branded instant scratch lotteries.
Proceeds from Golden Casket-branded products are currently primarily directed towards children's public health funding, in particular the Royal Children's Hospital, Brisbane and Mater Children's Hospital
. Some proceeds of Tattersall's products are also made available through grants to various entities.
In 2007-10-24, the Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation
announced that Tattersall's' monopoly on lotteries in that state will end, and effective from 2008-07-01 there will be two lotteries licencees in the state of Victoria, effective for ten years. Tattersall's will continue to operate its existing national lotto games, such as Tattslotto (Saturday only), Super 7's Oz Lotto and Powerball. The Australian arm of Greek-based gaming company Intralot
has also been awarded a licence to operate games in some categories currently run by Tattersall's, such as keno and instant scratch lotteries, as well as a number of new games. As of May 2008, Tattersall's is in the process of winding these games down before the 30 June deadline, which requires them to distribute any reserve prize funds before their licence expires.
matches through its seller network in Victoria, under the Tatts Tipstar brand, from 2001 until 2007. Originally a consortium also including the company of current Collingwood Football Club
president and Nine Network
personality, Eddie McGuire
, Tattersall's has been the sole shareholder of the operating company since 2002.
Originally granted as a seven-year licence by the Victorian government, the licence for Tatts Tipstar expired at the end of the 2007 AFL season. During that season, two products were offered: a statewide, season-long tipping competition (Tipstar Footy Tips), and a weekly pool for tipping all eight teams in a round (Tipstar 8). A reduced version of the latter, dubbed Tipstar 4, was initially offered upon Tipstar's inception, but was eventually removed from sale.
), would see this number reduced by 283 in 2007.
Tatts, through its UNiTAB arm, also operates gaming machine services (such as statewide jackpot operations) to Queensland, New South Wales and the Northern Territory, under the "maxgaming" brand. Originally operated by the former Tab Limited (who operated the New South Wales TAB), maxgaming was purchased from Tabcorp by UNiTAB effective 2004-01-01. Tabcorp, who already owned Sydney
's Star City Casino
, was forced to divest its holdings of maxgaming by the NSW government as a condition of taking a controlling stake in Tab Limited.
agencies in Queensland, South Australia, and the Northern Territory, providing wagering on horse and greyhound racing, as well as major sports events under Tabcorp's TAB Sportsbet brand (which is used by all TABs nationally). UNiTAB also operate radio stations in these states. Tatts Group (through UNiTAB) and Tabcorp own the TABs in all states and territories except Western Australia
, Tasmania
and the Australian Capital Territory, where they remain government-owned.
in 1881. Adams moved to Australia
from England
at the age of 16 and worked in many positions including publican
, stock broker
and baker
. In 1881 Adams who worked as a publican in Sydney
took bets on horses which could be considered the start of the gambling company.
However, the company started a serious lottery when Adams moved to Hobart
in 1895 a move supported by the Tasmanian Government
. He set up his first operation there and eventually the company grew/developed in other states.
n governments, gambling has become a problem in both these states. Neither state has banned advertising of Tattersall's products despite the fact they run advertisements cautioning engagement in gambling. The company could be subject to legal battles, some complain about the odds of games. Tattersall's generally only returns 60% of weekly revenue back into the prize pools (some is saved for a Super Draw). It is estimated that 1/3 of Victorians play Tattersall's games each week. This rising in the Super Draws. In 2004 Tattersall's changed the appearance of their tickets and replaced the outlet machines across Australia. The new tickets they developed were considerably longer and the numbers were squashed smaller; making them harder to see for older players (who make up a large proportion of their customers). Other people complained that Tattersall's tickets looked too similar to supermarket receipts and were being thrown away. Their exclusive licences to many gambling operations are constantly under review by state governments.
"Tattersall's heirs" were now allowed to sell their stake in the company and for the first time the public could buy into it. After the listing on the stock exchange local newspapers and other news media listed the names of these "Heirs".
Lottery
A lottery is a form of gambling which involves the drawing of lots for a prize.Lottery is outlawed by some governments, while others endorse it to the extent of organizing a national or state lottery. It is common to find some degree of regulation of lottery by governments...
/gaming company
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
. Tattersall's is licensed to sell lottery related products including Tattslotto, Super 66, Monday & Wednesday Lotto, Super 7's Oz Lotto, The Pools, and Powerball in the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n states of Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
and Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, as well as the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
and Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
. Tattersall's-related products are sold in 900 venues across Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
and Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
.
Until 1 July 2008, Tattersall's were also permitted to sell instant 'scratchies', as well as Tatts 2, Tatts Keno and Wednesday Tattslotto.
In October 2006, UNiTAB Limited was merged into Tattersall's Limited. UNiTAB owns the Totalizator Agency Board
Totalizator Agency Board
Totalisator Agency Board in Australia and New Zealand, universally shortened to TAB, is the name given to monopoly totalisator organisations. All were originally government owned...
s (TABs) in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
and the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
, as well as gaming machine monitoring services in Queensland, the Northern Territory, and New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, under the maxgaming brand. The UNiTAB Limited operations is currently considered a subsidiary of the merged company, separate from the previous Tattersalls operations.
At their Annual General Meeting on 2007-11-30, shareholders approved a resolution changing the name of the merged company to Tatts Group Limited. The lotteries arm of the group will remain under the Tattersall's branding. Its major competitor in the gaming and wagering industry is Tabcorp Holdings Limited
Tabcorp Holdings
Tabcorp Holdings is an Australian company with interests in gaming, wagering and related media. It was formed through the privatisation of the Victorian Totalisator Agency Board in 1994. The TAB ran all off-track betting on horse racing, greyhound racing, and harness racing in Victoria, as well...
.
In 2010, Tatts purchased NSW Lotteries
NSW Lotteries
NSW Lotteries was a corporation owned by the Government of New South Wales in Australia it is currently leased to Tattersalls for 40 years. It runs games of chance through a network of agents, most of which are newsagencies...
from the Government of New South Wales
Government of New South Wales
The form of the Government of New South Wales is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1856, although it has been amended many times since then...
.
Lotteries
- Tattersall's Sweeps Pty Ltd (trading as Tattersall's), which currently holds a licensed monopolyMonopolyA monopoly exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity...
over lotteries in TasmaniaTasmaniaTasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
and the Northern TerritoryNorthern TerritoryThe Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
, and operates in competition with IntralotIntralotIntralot is a Greek company that supplies integrated gaming, transaction processing systems, game content ,sports betting management and Interactive Gaming Services, to state-licensed gaming organizations worldwide. The company acts both as a lottery vendor and a lottery operator...
in VictoriaVictoria (Australia)Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, and with New South Wales Lotteries in the Australian Capital TerritoryAustralian Capital TerritoryThe Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
; and - Golden CasketGolden CasketGolden Casket is the public limited lottery corporation in Queensland trading on ASX, Australia. It sells lottery tickets and Instant Scratch-Its tickets through newsagents and other convenience stores. Lottery draws are televised on Channel Seven four nights a week.Golden Casket makes a net...
Lottery Corporation, the former QueenslandQueenslandQueensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
government-owned entity who owns a licensed monopoly on lotteries there; the management of which was sold to Tattersall's on 2007-06-29 for $530 million.
As part of the Australian Lotto Bloc, the Tatts Lotteries entities operate the following national lottery games in their jurisdictions:
- Saturday Lotto – known by Tattersall's as Tattslotto and by Golden Casket as Gold Lotto,
- Oz Lotto (drawn Tuesday) – known by Tattersall's as Super 7's Oz Lotto and by Golden Casket as Oz 7 Lotto,
- Powerball (drawn Thursday),
- Super 66 (drawn Saturday), and
- The Pools (a lottery game based on the results of soccer matches; results declared Monday).
In Tattersall's-branded areas, a range of additional games are offered, including Wednesday Tattslotto, a reduced version of Tattslotto played with 40 numbers instead of 45; and the daily Tatts Keno and Tatts Two games. In Queensland, Golden Casket runs Wednesday Gold Lotto as well as a draw lottery, known as Casket, which is drawn approximately seven times a year. Both also offer their own-branded instant scratch lotteries.
Proceeds from Golden Casket-branded products are currently primarily directed towards children's public health funding, in particular the Royal Children's Hospital, Brisbane and Mater Children's Hospital
Mater Health Services
Mater Health Services is a public and private collocated health care provider located in Brisbane, Australia. Mater Health Services provides care for some 500,000 patients each year. The Mater was established in 1906 by the Sisters of Mercy...
. Some proceeds of Tattersall's products are also made available through grants to various entities.
In 2007-10-24, the Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation
Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation
The Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation is the gambling regulator in the Australian state of Victoria. The VCGR is part of the Victorian Department of Justice....
announced that Tattersall's' monopoly on lotteries in that state will end, and effective from 2008-07-01 there will be two lotteries licencees in the state of Victoria, effective for ten years. Tattersall's will continue to operate its existing national lotto games, such as Tattslotto (Saturday only), Super 7's Oz Lotto and Powerball. The Australian arm of Greek-based gaming company Intralot
Intralot
Intralot is a Greek company that supplies integrated gaming, transaction processing systems, game content ,sports betting management and Interactive Gaming Services, to state-licensed gaming organizations worldwide. The company acts both as a lottery vendor and a lottery operator...
has also been awarded a licence to operate games in some categories currently run by Tattersall's, such as keno and instant scratch lotteries, as well as a number of new games. As of May 2008, Tattersall's is in the process of winding these games down before the 30 June deadline, which requires them to distribute any reserve prize funds before their licence expires.
AFL Football Tipping
Tatts Group ran a statewide tipping competition for AFLAustralian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
matches through its seller network in Victoria, under the Tatts Tipstar brand, from 2001 until 2007. Originally a consortium also including the company of current Collingwood Football Club
Collingwood Football Club
The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
president and Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
personality, Eddie McGuire
Eddie McGuire
Edward Joseph "Eddie" McGuire AM is an Australian television presenter and businessman known for his long association with Australian rules football and the Channel 9 television network....
, Tattersall's has been the sole shareholder of the operating company since 2002.
Originally granted as a seven-year licence by the Victorian government, the licence for Tatts Tipstar expired at the end of the 2007 AFL season. During that season, two products were offered: a statewide, season-long tipping competition (Tipstar Footy Tips), and a weekly pool for tipping all eight teams in a round (Tipstar 8). A reduced version of the latter, dubbed Tipstar 4, was initially offered upon Tipstar's inception, but was eventually removed from sale.
Gaming Machines
Tatts Group has a significant investment in operation of gaming machines in Victoria, where it is one of two companies licensed to do so (Tabcorp being the other). Tatts owned a total of as of 13,850 machines as of 2007-06-03, trading under the Tatts Pokies branding. However, Victorian government policy, which in August 2006 was amended to enforce regional machine limits as well as a state limit (27,400 in total, plus 2500 operating at Crown CasinoCrown Casino
Crown Casino and Entertainment Complex is a large casino and entertainment precinct located on the south bank of the Yarra River, in Melbourne, Australia. Crown Casino is a unit of Crown Limited....
), would see this number reduced by 283 in 2007.
Tatts, through its UNiTAB arm, also operates gaming machine services (such as statewide jackpot operations) to Queensland, New South Wales and the Northern Territory, under the "maxgaming" brand. Originally operated by the former Tab Limited (who operated the New South Wales TAB), maxgaming was purchased from Tabcorp by UNiTAB effective 2004-01-01. Tabcorp, who already owned Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
's Star City Casino
Star City Casino
The Star Sydney Casino & Hotel in Pyrmont, Sydney, is the second largest casino in Australia after rival Melbourne's Crown Casino. Overlooking Darling Harbour, The Star Sydney Casino features two gaming floors, eight bars, seven restaurants, 351 hotel rooms and 130 serviced and privately owned...
, was forced to divest its holdings of maxgaming by the NSW government as a condition of taking a controlling stake in Tab Limited.
Racing and Sports Wagering
Tatts Group's UNiTAB arm owns the statewide Totalizator Agency BoardTotalizator Agency Board
Totalisator Agency Board in Australia and New Zealand, universally shortened to TAB, is the name given to monopoly totalisator organisations. All were originally government owned...
agencies in Queensland, South Australia, and the Northern Territory, providing wagering on horse and greyhound racing, as well as major sports events under Tabcorp's TAB Sportsbet brand (which is used by all TABs nationally). UNiTAB also operate radio stations in these states. Tatts Group (through UNiTAB) and Tabcorp own the TABs in all states and territories except Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
and the Australian Capital Territory, where they remain government-owned.
History
The history of Tattersall's can be traced back to George AdamsGeorge Adams (businessman)
George Adams was an Australian publican and lottery promoter best known as the founder of Tattersall's.-Life:...
in 1881. Adams moved to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
at the age of 16 and worked in many positions including publican
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
, stock broker
Stock broker
A stock broker or stockbroker is a regulated professional broker who buys and sells shares and other securities through market makers or Agency Only Firms on behalf of investors...
and baker
Baker
A baker is someone who bakes and sells bread, Cakes and similar foods may also be produced, as the traditional boundaries between what is produced by a baker as opposed to a pastry chef have blurred in recent decades...
. In 1881 Adams who worked as a publican in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
took bets on horses which could be considered the start of the gambling company.
However, the company started a serious lottery when Adams moved to Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
in 1895 a move supported by the Tasmanian Government
Government of Tasmania
The form of the Government of Tasmania is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1856, although it has been amended many times since then...
. He set up his first operation there and eventually the company grew/developed in other states.
Controversy
Being a gambling company Tattersall's is subject to controversy. While the company has often enjoyed support from both the Victorian and TasmaniaTasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
n governments, gambling has become a problem in both these states. Neither state has banned advertising of Tattersall's products despite the fact they run advertisements cautioning engagement in gambling. The company could be subject to legal battles, some complain about the odds of games. Tattersall's generally only returns 60% of weekly revenue back into the prize pools (some is saved for a Super Draw). It is estimated that 1/3 of Victorians play Tattersall's games each week. This rising in the Super Draws. In 2004 Tattersall's changed the appearance of their tickets and replaced the outlet machines across Australia. The new tickets they developed were considerably longer and the numbers were squashed smaller; making them harder to see for older players (who make up a large proportion of their customers). Other people complained that Tattersall's tickets looked too similar to supermarket receipts and were being thrown away. Their exclusive licences to many gambling operations are constantly under review by state governments.
Inheritance
When Tattersall's was founded, George Adams structured the company so the original workers' families would inherit the profits. This created so-called "Tattersall's heirs": subsequent generations inherited a share in the company's profits. This was sometimes thought of as being unfair seeing people inherited the profits of a multi-million dollar company (that benefited from a state-granted monopoly on much of its business) simply through birth. In 2005 the company decided to list on the Australian Stock ExchangeAustralian Stock Exchange
The Australian Securities Exchange was created by the merger of the Australian Stock Exchange and the Sydney Futures Exchange in July 2006. It is the primary stock exchange group in Australia....
"Tattersall's heirs" were now allowed to sell their stake in the company and for the first time the public could buy into it. After the listing on the stock exchange local newspapers and other news media listed the names of these "Heirs".