Australian Capital Territory
Race and Sports Bookmaking (Rules for Sports Bookmaking) Determination 2009 (No 1)
Disallowable Instrument DI2009—267
made under the
Race and Sports Bookmaking Act 2001, s23(1) - Rules for sports bookmaking

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

The Race and Sports Bookmaking Act 2001 (the Act) regulates the activities of sports bookmakers in the Australian Capital Territory.

Part 3 of the Act provides for the conduct and control of sports bookmaking.  In particular, section 23 of the Act provides that the Gambling and Racing Commission may determine rules for sports bookmaking.  

This Instrument commences on the day after notification and provides for the rules for sports bookmaking and revokes            DI2008-211 dated 19 August 2008 and notified under the Legislation Register on 21 August 2008. 

As a consequence of amendments to the determination of sports bookmaking events made pursuant to section 20 of the Act, it is necessary to similarly amend the associated rules for sports bookmaking in this instrument. 

Among other things, changes made to the section 20 determination of sports bookmaking events extends approved international racing events to include the United Kingdom with respect to greyhound racing and Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom with respect to harness racing.  

In addition, the status of international greyhound, harness and thoroughbred racing has also been altered in the section 20 determination to the extent that sports bookmaking is now permitted on international races of “group, listed, or equivalent status as determined, scheduled and sanctioned” by the relevant controlling authority of the various international racing jurisdictions.  These changes are now reflected in the associated rules for sports bookmaking in this instrument.

Specifically, rule 9.2.1(1) has been amended to provide for sports bookmakers to offer New Zealand and United Kingdom greyhound racing events as a fixed-odds market if the event retains group, listed, or equivalent race status as determined, scheduled and sanctioned by the relevant controlling authority.

Rule 9.3.1(1) has been similarly amended to provide for sports bookmakers to offer Danish, Finnish, French, German, New Zealand, Norwegian, Swedish and United Kingdom harness racing events as a fixed-odds market if the event retains group, listed, or equivalent race status as determined, scheduled and sanctioned by the relevant controlling authority.

Rule 9.5(1) has also been amended to provide for sports bookmakers to offer international thoroughbred racing markets as a fixed-odds market if the event retains group, listed, or equivalent race status as determined, scheduled and sanctioned by the International Cataloguing Standards Committee and is conducted by the relevant controlling authority.

Other than some very minor typographical changes the Instrument has not been altered.