Tabcorp ramps up digital in time for spring racing carnival

Growth in bets placed via Tabcorp's digital channels, including its online-only bookmaker Luxbet, rose 20.4 per cent in the six months ended June 30.

Although much of that growth came in the shift from retail to digital betting – with Tabcorp's overall turnover rising just 2.3 per cent in the same period – Mr Attenborough said it showed the wagering giant was "getting digital right."

"We've been prioritising investment in our digital technology as part of investing in that multi-channel, multi-product approach," he told Fairfax Media.

In the past two years, Tabcorp has moved from using external consultants to develop its online products, like its website and smartphone apps, to having a 40-person, dedicated digital team in house.

One of the team's latest projects has been building a tool, one marketed with the slogan Touch 'n' Go, that allows punters to verify their identity by pressing their fingerprint to their smartphone screen. The new technology does away with the need to input a personal code before placing a bet.

Although the move might raise questions about personal security, Mr Attenborough argued the new technology was better than a user keying in their code in a public place like a pub.

"We are looking forward to really strong period," Mr Attenborough said of the upcoming Spring racing period, which is generally the busiest period for wagering companies. "We've got great racing coming up and we're well positioned with our products and our channels to provide our customers with, I think, a really good experience over the carnival."

In a turnaround from the norm, Tabcorp's digital turnover in the six months ended June 30 was higher than the previous half. Second-half turnover rose $300 million to $1.8 billion. Tabcorp usually has a larger first half, because of the Spring Carnival.

Mr Attenborough put down the outperformance to the 2014 football World Cup, but said it meant Tabcorp had strong momentum coming into the second half. "The soccer world cup gave us a real chance to showcase a lot of the stuff we can do really well now," he said.

Tabcorp's digital turnover growth of 20.4 per cent outpaced turnover from Sportsbet (14 per cent) and William Hill Australia, which owns the Sportingbet and Tom Waterhouse brands (9.9 per cent). Comparisons with these operators can be problematic, however, because their turnover figures include phone-based betting with 'premium' punters, which is stripped out of Tabcorp's digital turnover figures. The premium end of the market is volatile, and currently growing slower than digital-only.

Separately, Tabcorp's acquisition of ACTTAB, the national capital's wagering agency, received clearance from the competition regulator. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said Canberra's wagering provider had "not been a vigorous competitor in wagering markets" so Tabcorp's $105.5 million deal would only marginally increase its market power.

"The ACCC determined that Tabcorp would continue to be competitively constrained by the corporate bookmakers and other state-based operators," ACCC commissioner Jill Walker said in a statement.