Keno licence review: Terms of Reference

Purpose

The purpose of the Terms of Reference is to set out the high level framework for the conduct of the Keno Licence Review (review). It will be used as a basis for the commencement of the regulatory review stage.

Background

In March 2011, Tabcorp Investments No.5 Pty Ltd (Tabcorp) was awarded the Keno Licence (licence) for ten years commencing in April 2012 and expiring on 14 April 2022. The licence allows Tabcorp to conduct the game of Keno in Victoria.

The Victorian Government will undertake a review of the current licensing arrangements to enable it to make decisions on future licensing arrangements well before the licence expires in 2022. This will give government, the industry and the community certainty about future Keno arrangements in Victoria.

Scope

The review will consider:

• trends and developments in the keno market since the licence was issued
• whether and how the licensing arrangements could be changed to create better economic and social outcomes for the Victorian community, including minimising gambling-related harm
• how the value to the State of the licence can be maximised
• the appropriateness of the financial arrangements under the licence
• the appropriateness of the product and distribution arrangements under the licence.

How the review will be conducted

The review will be conducted by the Gambling Licensing Program in the Department of Justice and Community Safety, in consultation with the Department of Premier and Cabinet and the Department of Treasury and Finance. 

The review will incorporate consultation with industry, community and government stakeholders. The Gambling Licensing Program will determine the nature of that consultation having regard to the need to ensure fairness and integrity throughout the licensing process. 

The Independent Review Panel established under the Gambling Regulation Act 2003 will oversee and publicly report on the integrity of the review and any subsequent licensing processes.

The review will be conducted in two stages.

Stage one: will consist of an assessment of the performance of the current licence and a review of the current regulatory settings. The assessment will be informed by:

• a market sounding
• an interjurisdictional analysis
• a public discussion paper.

Stage two: will implement any reforms arising from Stage one of the review, including through legislative amendment where required.

Reporting and timing

Stage one of the review commenced in early 2018 and is expected to conclude with a report and recommendations delivered to the Minister for Consumer Affairs, Gaming and Liquor Regulation in 2019. The timelines for Stage two will be determined after the completion of Stage one.