The TAB offered the government a $150 million deal to secure an online casino license, but the offer was rejected by Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden, who believes the government should not be involved in casino gambling. The TAB is seeking a license and has asked for legislation to be reviewed, despite the rejection of their initial offer.

Racing Minister Winston Peters has legislation before Parliament that will extend the TAB’s monopoly for sports and race betting to the online environment. The TAB has a partnership with UK betting company Entain, which guarantees $900 million for the racing industry over five years. The legislation is expected to pass into law by May, allowing the TAB to receive significant cash payments from Entain.

Despite concerns about granting the TAB an online monopoly due to its relationship with Entain, the legislation extending the TAB’s sports and racing betting monopoly to the online environment is expected to pass into law. The TAB will also be allowed to keep its pokie machines, despite a previous government’s intention to remove its Class 4 license.