Important Changes Recommended By Draft Report

The Productivity Commission's draft report on gambling has been released today, and its draft recommendations, if adopted, would dramatically transform the structure and dynamics of the racing and wagering industry, result in significant changes in the gaming industry's approach to harm minimisation and reintroduce online gaming into Australia.

Some particularly noteworthy draft recommendations made by the Commission include:

Racing and Wagering

• generally, a push to a free national market and the removal of protectionist state-based arrangements;
• the Federal Government, in consultation with State and Territory governments, to develop a national funding model for the racing industry, including the implementation of national legislation to replace current State and Territory arrangements;