Tabcorp is preparing to move its One Pool national tote project into live domestic testing, with the first trials scheduled for Thursday, September 24. The initiative will combine wagers that currently flow through separate state-based tote systems into one national pool, giving customers in participating jurisdictions the same winning dividend for each race included in the test.
The opening phase will involve racing meetings at Tamworth in New South Wales and Warwick in Queensland. Mt Gambier’s greyhound meeting has also featured in planning for the initial tests. Tabcorp has not confirmed the exact races that will use the combined pool during the first stage.
The early trials will operate without the One Pool branding. Tabcorp plans to introduce the national name and refreshed Sky Racing graphics after the testing period, subject to the platform performing as expected. Once launched, the updated broadcast presentation is expected to show fixed odds alongside a single national tote dividend.
Three State Pools Move Toward One National System
One Pool will combine NSW TAB, SuperTAB and UniTAB. NSW TAB covers New South Wales, while SuperTAB serves Victoria, Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory, SBC News reports. UniTAB covers Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory.
Tabcorp holds a presence across all of these wagering systems, giving the company the infrastructure needed to bring the pools together. The company reached terms for the national tote in July after nine months of negotiations involving its board and racing stakeholders.
Chief Executive Officer Gillon McLachlan and Chief Wagering Officer Michael Fitzsimons have led the project. Racing NSW approved the national tote in July as part of a broader agreement with Tabcorp, while state wagering regulators later completed approvals needed for the testing stage.
During the trials, bets that would previously have entered separate pools will instead be combined for selected races. That arrangement will give winning customers the same dividend regardless of which of the existing tote pools they would previously have used.
“A merged pool will increase liquidity for punters and create greater price stability,” McLachlan previously said when outlining the group’s strategy.
Testing Will Expand Before the Planned October Launch
Tabcorp plans to extend testing beyond the opening meetings. Additional trials are expected across thoroughbred, harness and greyhound racing, with a full day of domestic testing provisionally scheduled for Monday, September 28.
Plans reported ahead of the rollout also identified Coleraine and Lismore as possible thoroughbred fixtures for expanded testing on Friday, September 25. Tabcorp has kept flexibility over which meetings will ultimately take part.
Testing is expected to pause on September 26, when the AFL Grand Final and the Golden Rose meeting at Rosehill take place. The national tote is also expected to remain out of use the following day during the Group 1 Manikato Stakes meeting at Caulfield.
If the platform performs as intended, Tabcorp is targeting the weekend of October 3–4 for the formal One Pool launch. The company has not confirmed that date and has linked the timing to the outcome of the trial period.
The technology behind the domestic trial was co-engineered by Tabcorp’s wagering unit with BetMakers. Tabcorp has already used the system for international racing pools. The wagering group also entered an agreement to acquire BetMakers for AUS $250 million (£140 million) as part of its technology upgrade program.
One Pool Targets a Declining Tote Business
The launch comes as Tabcorp addresses a sustained decline in parimutuel wagering. Its tote pools have been shrinking by roughly 5–6% each year, while tote wagering’s share of group revenue has fallen from 50% in 2021/22 to about one-third.
Tabcorp expects a larger national pool to improve liquidity and reduce fluctuations in tote dividends. The company has also identified future opportunities involving tote-exclusive products, bigger jackpots and expanded international co-mingling.
Fitzsimons described the work behind the agreement after terms were reached:
“Delivering this has been the team’s focus for nine months, but they didn’t do it alone. The TAB board backed the vision and our racing partners across all three codes negotiated in good faith—all of which came together to turn an ambition into a deal.
“The opportunity for a revitalised tote with deeper pools, big jackpots, new products for customers and stronger returns for racing now sits in front of us. It won’t all happen overnight, but getting the platform in place is the critical step, and I’m proud to be part of the team that got it done.”
The first domestic trials will give Tabcorp data from the unified system before the company moves toward a broader rollout during the spring racing period. If the tests proceed successfully, One Pool will replace the current state-based structure with one national tote across Australian racing.