ACMA clears Tabcorp’s Tap in-play service

Australia’s communications regulator has confirmed Tabcorp’s venue-based mobile betting solution complies with the Interactive Gambling Act.

Australia.- The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has concluded that Tabcorp’s Tap in-play betting service does not breach federal interactive gambling laws. The decision means the company’s venue-based digital wagering innovation has cleared a key regulatory hurdle.

The Tap in-play solution allows customers physically present at licensed Tabcorp venues to use their smartphones to build live bets via the TAB app. Once configured, bettors can place wagers instantly by tapping their device on a dedicated in-venue Tap in-play station. The ACMA said its investigation into the service determined that it does not constitute a prohibited interactive gambling service under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (IGA).

According to the regulator, the service qualifies under the “place-based betting service” exception in section 8BA of the IGA. This provision, introduced in 2017, clarified that in-play betting is permitted when conducted through electronic betting terminals (EBTs) located within licensed venues.

The ACMA found that Tabcorp’s Tap in-play system leverages newer technology but operates within the same legal framework as existing EBT infrastructure deployed across Australia. Crucially, the service maintains the requirement that bets be placed in a physical venue, preserving regulatory safeguards designed to mitigate gambling harm.

The ACMA noted that Tabcorp has implemented a Real Time Intervention (RTI) strategy in the Tap in-play service, enabling monitoring and intervention capabilities aimed at supporting safer gambling behaviour.

The regulator emphasised that its decision applies specifically to the Tap in-play service as operated within licensed Tabcorp venues and does not authorise nationwide deployment. Any broader rollout of the solution remains subject to separate approvals from state and territory regulators. ACMA said it would continue to monitor the service closely and require Tabcorp to report on its RTI implementation, including system updates and any incidents involving customers.

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See also: ACMA fines Tabcorp for taking illegal in-play sports bets

Australia’s communications regulator has confirmed Tabcorp’s venue-based mobile betting solution complies with the Interactive Gambling Act. Australia.- The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has concluded that Tabcorp’s Tap in-play betting service does not breach federal interactive gambling laws. The decision means the company’s venue-based digital wagering innovation has cleared a key regulatory hurdle. The…