Bookies unite against South Australia PoC tax

Australian operators including Sportsbet and Ladbrokes have teamed up to launch a national campaign against South Australia’s “ill-considered” point of consumption (PoC) tax.

The Australian Wagering Council (AWC), its members and other prominent bookmakers this week unveiled the ‘Stop the Punters’ Tax’ campaign via newspaper advertisements and social media channels.

The campaign aims to halt the implementation of the controversial tax which will see operators pay a 15% levy on bets derived from the state, as opposed to where the bookmaker is located.

Chief executive of the Australian Wagering Council (AWC), Ian Fletcher, claimed the new tax would lead to worse odds for punters and likely push customers towards offshore betting sites.

“The Government has brought to the Parliament an ill-considered new tax, without consulting the community, which will hit the leisure activities of South Australians, damage the State’s racing and sporting industries by targeting their participants,” he said.

“[It will also] play into the hands of unscrupulous overseas operators who do not have an investment or interest in South Australian sport and recreation,” Fletcher added.

Operators backing the campaign include Sportsbet, Ladbrokes, bet365, Unibet and Betfair.

The 15% tax, which was originally announced in June, will see South Australia become the first state to place a levy on a point of consumption basis and will apply to operators earning more than $150,000 a year.

The measure was introduced by treasurer Tom Koutsantonis as part of South Australia’s 2016 budget and is expected to be introduced in July 2017.