Tabcorp Starts One Pool Testing to Unify Australian Tote
Tabcorp is set to begin testing its long-awaited One Pool project on Thursday, September 24, after securing regulatory approval to merge Australia's three state-based tote pools into a single national wagering pool.
The trial will combine wagers that previously flowed separately into the NSW, SuperTAB and UniTAB pools for the same race, with customers betting into any of the three receiving an identical dividend.
A greyhound meeting at Mount Gambier, a Tamworth harness program and a Warwick thoroughbred meeting are among the fixtures likely to be first through the new system.
How The Trial Will Run
The initial tests won't carry the One Pool branding or Sky Racing's refreshed on-screen graphics, which are being held back for the formal launch. Tabcorp is using technology it has already deployed for international racing pools to run the trial.
Testing is scheduled to expand on Friday, September 25, a Victorian public holiday, before pausing for the AFL Grand Final and Golden Rose meeting at Rosehill on September 26 and the Group 1 Manikato Stakes at Caulfield the following day.
A full day of testing across all domestic meetings is then planned for Monday, September 28, running into the following week as Tabcorp prepares to switch on the One Pool brand.
Launch Timing Tied To The Spring Carnival
Subject to those trials, the weekend of October 3-4 is the most likely window for a formal launch, though Tabcorp has not confirmed a date and says timing will depend on how testing goes.
That schedule would put One Pool's first Saturday on Turnbull Stakes day at Flemington and Epsom Handicap day at Randwick, both TAB-sponsored Group 1 races.
The unified pool is designed to increase liquidity for punters and create greater price stability by replacing the current fragmented structure, in which the TAB, SuperTAB and UBET brands operate separate pools that co-mingle rather than merge outright.
A CEO's Long-Standing Pledge
Tabcorp chief executive Gillon McLachlan has pushed the national tote project for months, telling the industry earlier this year that a merged pool would increase liquidity for punters and create greater price stability compared with the existing fragmented setup.
Under the current structure, the TAB, SuperTAB and UBET brands operate separate state pools that co-mingle rather than combine outright, meaning odds and dividends can vary depending on which pool a bet lands in.
One Pool has been in development for well over a year, with Tabcorp previously flagging a possible launch as early as August before regulatory sign-off pushed the timeline back.
The project is being closely watched by the wider Australian racing industry, since a single national pool is expected to make totalisator betting more competitive against fixed-odds sports betting and exchange wagering.
