Racing Victoria CEO Aaron Morrison has thrown his support behind the creation of a national betting pool, a move aimed at addressing the decline in tote betting.
With Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, and the Northern Territory pushing to merge their Tatts pool with Victoria’s, Morrison believes the change would improve liquidity and stability for punters. “We’re supportive of national pooling as it would enhance liquidity and should lead to greater dividend stability and improved punter confidence,” he said.
While the idea of a national pool is gaining traction, Morrison cautioned it’s not a “silver bullet to arrest the decline in tote betting.” However, he added, “it would definitely be a significant step in the right direction.”
Morrison also called for more investment in promoting tote betting, expanding international pooling, and innovating new betting products. “Tote betting has been in structural decline, but a strong tote remains important, particularly for exotic bets unique to racing,” he emphasised.