SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
The New Zealand Transport and Infrastructure Select Committee has proposed that changes are made to the charges imposed for the use of betting information in a bid to limit data used by offshore bookmakers.
Over 30 changes to the Racing Industry Bill were proposed by the Select Committee as it submitted its report to the House of Parliament, with the legislation now expected to be signed into law a month later than originally planned.
The Committee has outlined plans to work alongside the three racing codes – New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR), Harness Racing New Zealand (HRNZ) and Greyhound Racing New Zealand (GRNZ) – to ensure that measures are put in place to require offshore bookmakers to pay for use of New Zealand racing data.
Once the law is codified, the Committee proposed that Racing NZ be established, consisting of the three Codes, which could assume some of the Codes’ functions.
The group also suggested a reshuffle of the TAB NZ Board. The TAB is proposed to have three out of seven members appointed on the recommendation of the codes. A selection panel has been proposed and the overall required skill set of the Board will remain generally in line with what was in the Bill previously.
In a statement, the Racing Industry’s Transition Agency (RITA) said: “There are over 30 areas where the Committee have recommended changes and it will take us some time to work through and understand each of the different proposals.
“Our initial view of the Select Committee’s recommendations is that the overall direction and structure of the Bill remains the same as it was before the Committee and is still in line with the direction of the Messara Report.
“The TAB will be established as a pure betting, broadcasting and gaming entity, and the Codes will have greater roles and responsibilities for developing and promoting their sport.”
