In Australia, the legal dispute between the gaming group Tatts and the state of Victoria continues to rumble on.
On December 4, the Victorian Court of Appeal upheld the Supreme Court of Victoria’s decision in favour of Tatts, under which the state was ordered to pay the company AU$451.2m plus interest in the amount of $89.3m and costs.
The decision upheld an agreement Tatts entered into with the state in 1995, under which the state received additional licence fees from the company for the conduct of its Tatts Pokies business, on the basis that it would pay compensation if a new gaming operator’s licence were granted to anyone other than Tatts on the expiry of its licence.
In 2008, the Victoria government decided to make the management of the state’s nearly 30,000 gaming machines the responsibility of the pubs and clubs in which they are located.
However, the state of Victoria has now lodged an application in the High Court of Australia seeking special leave to appeal the decision Court of Appeal’s latest decision.
Tatts said it planned to oppose the special leave application. It is not known when the application will be heard and determined.
