Page 2956 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 14 September 1994
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
MR LAMONT (Minister for Urban Services, Minister for Housing and Community Services, Minister for Industrial Relations and Minister for Sport) (5.33), in reply: Madam Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to finalise these three important Bills. In the course of my concluding remarks I will turn to each of the issues that have been raised by the Opposition and by Ms Szuty. Madam Speaker, the package of legislation comprising the Bookmakers (Amendment) Bill (No. 2) 1994, the Gaming and Betting (Amendment) Bill (No. 2) 1994 and the Games Wagers and Betting-houses (Amendment) Bill 1994 provides for the establishment of a legislative framework to allow for the conduct and control of sports betting within the ACT. The framework established by these Bills provides for a flexible yet appropriately regulated scheme under which patrons are able to legally bet with licensed bookmakers on racing and on sporting and other contingencies in the comfort of a betting auditorium.
The Bookmakers (Amendment) Bill (No. 2) provides for separate licensing of sports bookmakers through the processes undertaken by the existing Bookmakers Licensing Committee. Only licensed bookmakers who hold an ACT standing licence may apply for a sports betting licence. The legislation provides for the Minister to determine the number of licences to be issued and the number of licences in each of the classes, the classes being sole traders, syndicates of up to four licensed bookmakers and companies where at least one director is a licensed bookmaker.
All applicants must meet the strict suitability requirements before a licence will be granted. To this end, I have asked the ACT Casino Surveillance Authority to assist the officers of the Bureau of Sport, Recreation and Racing and the Bookmakers Licensing Committee in the probative process. Madam Speaker, I table a copy of my letter to the chairman of the Casino Surveillance Authority and the reply from the authority. A tender/application document will be developed in consultation with the Attorney-General's Department, to ensure that the suitability assessment processes are in accordance with the relevant privacy legislation.
This package of legislation provides for the control of the sports betting service to be achieved through the issue by the responsible Minister of determinations which are disallowable in this Assembly. Such an arrangement provides the flexibility to keep abreast of technological and appropriate operational changes. Madam Speaker, that was an issue that was raised by Mr De Domenico. In the preparation of this legislation and its passage through this house I have insisted that the processes that we adopt be the most open and exposed processes possible. This format allows for the industry to maintain the flexibility necessary to stay at the leading edge of developments within the country but also ensures the proper checks by this house.
Madam Speaker, the determinations issued by the Minister will cover the total spectrum of activity within the betting auditorium and the conduct of the sports betting service. For example, instructions will be issued on the events and contingencies on which betting can occur, appropriate rules of betting for those events, operational controls of the betting auditorium, methods by which bets can be transmitted and records to be maintained by bookmakers fielding in the auditorium. The operational instructions can be as specific as necessary, to the extent that controls on credit arrangements may be introduced, if required.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .