Tatts Group Limited
- Founded
- 1881-01-01 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Headquarters
- Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Tatts Group Limited was one of Australia's largest and oldest gambling operators, with a heritage dating back to 1881, when George Adams founded Tattersall's in Melbourne. The modern ASX-listed company emerged from a 2000 restructure and adopted the Tatts Group name in 2006, eventually operating lottery, keno, and wagering businesses across most Australian states. Its product portfolio included iconic draws such as TattsLotto, Oz Lotto, and Powerball, while its UBET brand provided retail, telephone, and online sports and racing betting. At its peak, Tatts employed roughly 2,300 people and reported more than AUD $5 billion in annual turnover across its lotteries and wagering segments. The company worked under long-term licences with state governments, giving it a dominant, often near-monopoly position in several lottery markets. In December 2017 Tatts merged with Tabcorp Holdings in an AU$11.3 billion deal, creating Australia's largest listed wagering and entertainment group. After Tabcorp demerged its lotteries and keno business into The Lottery Corporation in 2022, the Tatts brand was transferred to that new entity, while Tatts Group Limited itself became a dormant subsidiary.
Detailed Review
History and Formation
Tatts Group's corporate story begins with Tattersall's, the lottery enterprise founded by George Adams in Melbourne in 1881. For more than a century, Tattersall's operated as a prominent private and later public lottery and racing wagering business. In 2000, the various Tattersall's holdings were restructured into a single entity, and after acquiring the Victorian TAB and completing a series of further acquisitions, the company was renamed Tatts Group Limited in 2006 and listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.
Business Segments and Products
The company was organised into two major segments. Its Lotteries and Keno division held a market-leading portfolio of public lottery games, including TattsLotto, Gold Lotto, Powerball, Oz Lotto, Super 66, and Keno, sold through licensed retailers and through online and mobile channels. Its Wagering division operated under the UBET brand, offering parimutuel and fixed-odds betting on racing and sport via retail outlets, telephone, and the UBET digital platform. Tatts also ran a gaming services arm that provided monitoring, compliance, and technology solutions for gaming machines and regulated gambling venues.
Market Position and Scale
By its final years as a listed company, Tatts Group was one of Australia's dominant gambling groups, employing more than 2,000 staff and generating over AUD $5 billion in annual turnover across its two main segments. Its lottery licences in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, and Tasmania gave it an entrenched position in some of Australia's largest lottery markets, with TattsLotto and its state-specific variants among the most popular lottery games in the country.
Regulatory Environment
Tatts Group operated under strict state-based licensing regimes. It held lottery licences in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, and Tasmania, as well as wagering licences in several states. These arrangements required the company to pay significant levies on ticket sales and wagering turnover and to comply with rigorous regulatory standards around responsible gambling, game integrity, and consumer protection.
Merger with Tabcorp
In October 2017, Tatts Group and Tabcorp completed a long-contested merger in a transaction valued at approximately AU$11.3 billion. The combined company became the largest wagering and entertainment group on the ASX, bringing together Tatts' lotteries, keno, and UBET wagering operations with Tabcorp's wagering, media, and gaming services businesses. Tatts Group Limited was delisted from the ASX on 20 December 2017, with its shares consolidated into Tabcorp Holdings Limited. Tatts chairman Robert Fraser joined the Tabcorp board, while Tatts chief executive Robbie Cooke left after a short transition period.
Current Status
Tatts Group Limited continues to exist as a legal entity but no longer operates independently. Following Tabcorp's decision to separate its lotteries and keno operations, the business was transferred to The Lottery Corporation in 2022, with the iconic Tatts brand continuing to be used for lottery products. Tatts Group Limited itself is now a dormant, wholly owned subsidiary rather than an active gambling operator with its own leadership, public-facing services, or operational headquarters.
Key Products
TattsLotto
Australia's best-known weekly lottery game, offering a large guaranteed jackpot and a long history dating back to 1972.
Gold Lotto
Queensland's version of TattsLotto, sold under a separate brand in that state with the same draw format and prize structure.
Powerball
A national jackpot draw operating across all Australian states, known for generating very large prize pools.
Oz Lotto
A multi-state variable jackpot draw with a pool-based prize structure.
Super 66
An add-on number game played alongside TattsLotto, giving players a chance to win an additional prize.
Keno
A rapid-draw numbers game offered in pubs and clubs, with online and flexible draw options.
UBET
The company's digital and retail wagering platform for sports and horse racing, offering both parimutuel and fixed-odds betting.
TAB retail operations
Parimutuel and fixed-odds wagering services delivered through licensed retail agents and facilities in some Australian states.
Gaming Services
Technology, monitoring, and compliance services for gaming machines and other regulated gambling venues.
Offices & Headcount
2300 employees (approx.)
Key Persons
Notable past members
- Robert Fraser — Managing Director & CEO