Page 2953 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 14 September 1994
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the ACT. The enactment of the Bills will enable sports bookmakers to take bets on a wide range of events, including rugby league, Australian rules, golf, cricket and athletics, as well as allowing bets to be taken on other events such as elections - and that is ironic. The actual events will be determined by the Minister.
I thank the Minister and officers of his department for numerous extensive consultations and briefings. The Minister and I, and Mrs Carnell and the Minister and I, have had several discussions. I think it is one of those examples of how cooperation can occur in this place, especially when we are talking of an area that has very few political connotations. I also say "well done" to the people who drafted these pieces of legislation. They give the Minister a lot of control, but whenever the Minister exercises that control that will become an instrument disallowable by this Assembly, and that is to be commended as well.
There are four very important points to be noted. The Bills ensure that betting arrangements are properly regulated. There will be separate licensing and approval arrangements for sports bookmakers. Licensed bookmakers will be able to operate as sports bookmakers as well. The Minister needs to give this house an assurance about probity. We must make sure that we get it right this time and do not repeat what happened in other areas before the Minister took over this portfolio responsibility. We know that only licensed bookmakers will be eligible to apply for a sports betting licence, although syndicates and companies are capable of operating as sports bookmakers as well. There will be separate licensing and approval arrangements for sports bookmakers, and only a limited number of sports betting licences will be issued. Sports bookmaking often involves bookmakers accepting and incurring liabilities over a long timeframe; therefore, the matter of security guarantees and performance guarantees is of paramount importance. Madam Speaker, Mrs Carnell and I were very pleased with the Minister's comments at the bookmakers dinner on Monday night, when he gave people a reassurance that the amount of money that is going to be looked at as a security guarantee is about $100,000, so as not to put the situation beyond the capacity of local bookmakers. It should also be noted that a dispute mechanism is proposed. The mechanism will comprise two steps. Initially, any claim will be referred to the Registrar of Bookmakers for a decision. Secondly, the registrar's decision can then be reviewed by a Sports Betting Disputes Subcommittee, if required or if necessary.
Madam Speaker, I turn to the Gaming and Betting (Amendment) Bill (No. 2). As the Gaming and Betting Act 1906 (New South Wales) provides for the regulation and control of betting and the control of race meetings and such matters and the Bookmakers (Amendment) Bill (No. 2) 1994 provides for the establishment of sports betting, it is necessary to amend the Gaming and Betting Act 1906 so that the prohibitions which apply in respect of race meetings will not apply at a sports betting venue. The Games Wagers and Betting-houses Act 1901 (New South Wales) provides for the control of games and wagers and betting houses. As the Bookmakers (Amendment) Bill (No. 2) 1994 provides for the establishment of sports betting, it is therefore necessary to amend the Act so that the prohibitions on betting houses do not apply to sports betting venues. Madam Speaker, the Opposition and, I know, the Government consulted with the Bookmakers Association, the ACT Racing Club, the Canberra Greyhound Racing Club, the Canberra Harness Racing Club, ACTSport and other people as well.
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