This week, the Victorian government has informed Tatts Group and TabCorp of a new levy that they will be required to pay. The two groups recently had their pokie duopoly disbanded, but the Victorian government still feels as though Tatts Group and TabCorp owe the community. The companies are required to pay a total of nearly $85 million, but they are reluctant to comply.

The Victorian government requires Tatts Group to pay $42.6 million and TabCorp to pay $42 million. The payment required will contribute to the Health Benefit, required by all gaming companies that operated in Victoria last year. However, the two groups were only active in the market for 46 days before their duopoly was disbanded.

“The levy has not been applied pro rata, and it does not reflect that Tabcorp ceased to operate gaming machines on 15 August 2012 when its gaming licence expired”, reads a statement released by TabCorp this week. Tatts Group has also spoken out against the levy. The pokie operator does not believe that it should be required to pay the $42 million for the Health Benefit, since its license expired in August 2012.

Representatives have stated that they are prepared to hash the issue out in court if a settlement cannot be reached. ‘‘We are not a company that relishes being embroiled in litigation,” says Robbie Cooke, head of Tatts Group. “But in the end of the day if we have to go down that road to protect our shareholders’ interests we will”.

If the Victorian government is taken to court over the issue, this will be the second time that local politicians will be in this situation with Tatts Group and TabCorp. Earlier this year, the two companies launched a lawsuit against the government for disbanded their gaming duopoly. They could go down the same road again, severely damaging their relationship with Victorian politicians and gaming officials.

About the Author

George Anderson
Author George, has over 25+ years’ experience in the Pokies and Casinos industry throughout Australia and New Zealand. Loves to research new Pokies games on the block and follows announcements from top industry providers about their upcoming releases. As soon as a new interesting pokie game appears on his radar, George is there to check it out and give you the scoop before anyone else and tell you about all casino sites where can play the latest game. Before this gig, George worked as Pokie game tester, making him an ideal candidate for this genre of work. He is also an animal lover and a proud owner of three dogs.