Australian wagering giant Tabcorp selects French supplier PandaScore as its dedicated esports data and odds provider

One of Australia’s biggest operators, Tabcorp, has partnered with specialist esports supplier PandaScore to expand its esports offering in Australia.

Tabcorp will initially incorporate PandaScore’s esports data and odds services for the Big 3 esports titles: Counter-Strike, League of Legends and Dota 2. Tabcorp is keen on integrating the full suite of PandaScore titles, markets and products to drive future expansion in esports.

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The agreement will see Tabcorp offer an expanded range of markets and market lines, including PandaScore’s lucrative player markets.

Powered by PandaScore’s market-leading esports products, Tabcorp’s multichannel distribution will see its levelled up esports offering available over digital and physical options, including web, mobile app, betting shops and terminals in licensed venues.

For Tabcorp Trading General Manager, David Beirne, “this partnership with PandaScore is invaluable to our investment in esports. It gives us access to dedicated esports trading and odds creation services for the most popular titles, with eyes to build out a full esports offering fit for the next generation of bettors. This partnership is another step in creating the ultimate sports entertainment experience for our customers.”

Oliver Niner, Head of B2B at PandaScore stated that he’s “very excited about working with one of the biggest operators in Australia. Tabcorp is an Australian institution with outstanding visibility and market penetration and a pedigree for success. Rolling out our best-in-class esports products to a market leader in Australia builds on our existing successes in this market, and it’s one we’re confident we can continue fostering growth in.”

Australia’s ban on gambling advertising will not be introduced this week. This may also be the last week the Australian Parliament sits this term, making the bill’s progression uncertain.

The government has been further discussing gambling regulation since an inquiry last June. The late Member of Parliament Peta Murphy’s report included 31 recommendations, including a full ban of gambling advertising.

Gambling is a particular issue in the country. According to research, Australians lose around $25 billion on legal gambling every year, the largest per capita losses globally.

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Earlier this year, ReadWrite reported that “one million gambling ads had been aired in one year in Australia,” according to an open letter signed by prominent Australians. Despite these external and internal pressures, the parliament is still yet to respond to Murphy’s report or make the proposed bill public.

Competition Minister Andrew Leigh said that the government was prepared to bring in restrictions “immediately” but that they still don’t have enough numbers to pass the bill.

“It’s quite clear at the moment … the numbers aren’t there to progress the reforms the government has put through, which would significantly curtail gambling ads around major sporting events so there would be a blackout period before and after sporting events,” he said.

“If we thought the numbers were there, we’d put it to the parliament immediately, but the fact that the numbers aren’t there says everything about the way in which the opposition is moving into blocking mode.”

This directly contradicted the view from sport minister Anika Wells, who said that a ban on gambling ads was not ready for parliament yet.

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She said: “I’ve got national sporting organizations and professional codes who are worried about how this will impact the viability of their financial model … I think it needs more nuanced work.”

The Labor government continues to be split on the issue of a full advertising ban, with some believing a partial one is the better decision.

Tabcorp Holdings Limited (Tabcorp) has paid a $262,920 penalty for taking online in-play sports bets, which is illegal in Australia.

An Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) investigation found Tabcorp accepted 854 in-play bets across 69 tennis matches between April and October 2023.

Online in-play betting—wagers made on a sporting event after it has commenced—is prohibited in Australia under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001.

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Authority member Carolyn Lidgerwood said the ban on online in-play betting is in place to protect vulnerable people.

“In-play betting increases access to gambling opportunities and exacerbates the risks of gambling harm, as people can place bets with high frequency on multiple outcomes during sporting events,” Ms Lidgerwood said.

“There has been significant growth in online sports betting in recent years and it’s important all online wagering services have systems in place so that illegal in-play bets are not accepted.”

During the investigation Tabcorp reported that the breaches occurred due to a technical “bug” in its systems. While the error first occurred in April 2023, it was not fixed until October 2023.

“Tabcorp is a major wagering operator and it is concerning that it took some 6 months for the system error to be identified and fixed,” Ms Lidgerwood said.

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In addition to paying the $262,920 penalty, Tabcorp has also advised the ACMA of controls it now has in place and future steps it will be taking to minimise the risk of online in-play bets being accepted.

In its consideration of this matter the ACMA also took into account that Tabcorp had voided all bets so consumers did not suffer any loss and Tabcorp did not profit from the errors.

Tabcorp was previously issued a formal warning by the ACMA in November 2021 for accepting in-play bets on a United States college basketball game.