A conflict between two Australian lottery companies is brewing over a proposed legislative reform tabled by PM Anthony Albanese’s government.
As part of the wider reform proposals, the Albanese cabinet aims to ban foreign matched lotteries, which operate by allowing Australians to participate in major international lotteries like the US PowerBall or the EuroMillions game in Europe.
One company that offers such services is The Lottery Office, through which customers can buy a ticket and pick their numbers. The Lottery Office then buys a ticket in the overseas draw with the exact selection of numbers through its network of overseas agents.
The Lottery Office is now accusing The Lottery Corporation – an AU$11bn (£5.8bn) Australian lottery giant – of lobbying the government to insert the ban clause, which would essentially end the business of the former.
Jaclyn Wood, Chief Executive Officer of The Lottery Corporation, said: “This is not how politics should work. Demanding that the only form of competition in the Australian lottery market is regulated out of existence will see 50 workers on the Gold Coast lose their jobs.”
The Lottery Corporation declined to comment for Australian new outlet Financial Review, instead referring to remarks previously made by its CEO Wayne Pickup during a Senate inquiry into gambling reforms.
“Our concern is consistency,” Pickup then said. “Australia’s lottery market is regulated by design to protect consumers, to safeguard integrity and to return money to the community.”
The Albanese reform package, due to be voted in Parliament later this month, indeed focuses on reducing gambling harm among Australians – in part prompted by the late Labour politician Peta Murphy and her 31 recommendations for a more sustainable Australian gambling market.
Wood, however, has maintained that there is no solid evidence that foreign-matched lotteries cause higher gambling harm rates than their national counterparts, which also matches the government’s conclusion following its review into how the sector is regulated from earlier in January.