Tabcorp will take the Victoria government to the High Court of Australia after its bid for compensation relating to a poker machine licence was turned down at state level.
The gaming firm lost its case, which demanded AUS$686 million ($561 million /€450 million) from the State, at the Victorian Supreme Court in June, and its appeal was turned down earlier this month.
Tabcorp, along with Tatts Group, operated Victoria’s 27,500 poker machines in venues outside of Crown Resort’s Melbourne casino for 18 years.
But in 2008, the then government decided to transfer the management of ‘pokies’ to pubs and clubs, removing the two companies’ licences.
Tatts was successful in claiming $540 million in June’s original hearing, and this was confirmed by the state’s appeal earlier this month.
Tatts’ case was successful because it argued the case for compensation on a contractual rather than a statutory basis.
However, Tabcorp’s claim is that the state was obliged to make a payment to it in August 2012 when the old licence expired. Its case is based on laws from 1994 when the government privatised the Victorian TAB and listed Tabcorp on the Australian stock market.
“If special leave is granted, Tabcorp will appeal the Court of Appeal’s decision to the High Court of Australia and seek an order for a payment of approximately $686 million plus statutory interest from the state of Victoria,” Tabcorp said in a statement.
source : www.igamingbusiness.com
