Operating since 1961, the government-owned TAB shops have been privatized, and in 2015, nearly half of them (those located in Queensland, South Australia, Northern Territory, and Tasmania) were modernized and re-branded as UBET shops. A total of about 3,000 retail Totalisator Agency Board outlets can be found in various locations.
Sports betting is also regulated in the country, with betting shops known as TAB (Totalisator Agency Board) where tote wagers and fixed odds bets can be placed. These slot machines are called “pokies” and are among the most popular forms of gambling along with lottery games. The pubs, clubs, and bars in the region also offer a great variety of electronic gaming machines (EGMs). Several licensed physical casinos are currently operating in Australia, which has legalized poker, too. While this is the highest rate in the world and would call for strict regulation in most parts of the globe, the regulation of gambling in the country is subordinated to fairly liberal laws. Gambling is among the most popular forms of entertainment in Australia, with 6.8 million people within the country being regular gamblers, spending money on one or more gambling activities in a typical month, according to a 2015 analysis by the Australian Gambling Research Centre (AGRC).
