Western Australian government mulls sale of TAB …again

After several failed attempts over recent years, the Western Australian government is mulling the sale of its TAB betting agency, currently operated by Racing and Wagering Western Australia.

The Australian Financial Review reports that WA Premier Mark McGowan is considering the appointment of a special adviser on the implications of such a move following expressions of interest from several banks, and discussions between state racing and gaming minister Paul Papalia with the local racing industry – a major obstacle to previous attempts to offload the TAB asset.

Industry observers have suggested that Tabcorp and Tatts – currently in the process of merging – could be bidders for the WA TAB, which in the past has been offered with a hefty A$1 billion price tag that several analysts labelled unrealistic and far too high.

Much will depend on how much TAB is expected to continue to contribute to the local racing industry, fees and taxes – all apparently unknown quantities at present.

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