Return to normal view

Sports Betting

Important changes to the regulation of sports betting in Victoria occurred with the passage of the Gambling and Racing Legislation Amendment (Sports Betting) Act 2007 which amended the Gambling Regulation Act 2003. These changes were aimed at improving public confidence in the integrity of sport in a betting environment and ensuring that sporting bodies receive a proportion of revenue from betting conducted on sporting events.

These provisions for betting on sport and other events took effect on 1 October 2007, and provide for:

• the transfer of responsibility for approving sporting and other non-racing events for betting purposes from the Minister for Gaming and the Minister for Racing to the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation (the Commission)
• the ability for sporting organisations to apply to the Commission to be approved as the sports controlling body for betting purposes on their sport
• requirements for sports betting providers to have a written agreement with the relevant approved sports controlling body of an approved sporting event. Without an agreement, bets cannot continue to be offered on the sporting event. Agreements with new entrants to the Victorian betting market will need to be made with sports controlling bodies before bets can be taken.
• the right of sports betting providers to seek dispute resolution through the Commission where agreement cannot be reached with the approved sports controlling body
• the Commission to have the explicit power to prohibit particular contingencies considered inappropriate for betting purposes.

Further information

The Gambling Regulation Act 2003 can be viewed at the Victorian Legislation and Parliamentary Documents website. The provisions relating to sports betting are contained in Chapter 4, Part 5 of the Act. 

Organisations wishing to be approved as a Sports Controlling Body can apply to the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation. Copies of the form and additional information can be viewed on the Commission's website here.