Intro
This guideline is designed to provide information about the subject matter covered, and with the understanding that the Gaming and Wagering Commission (the Commission) is not passing legal opinion or interpretation or other professional advice. The information is provided on the understanding that all persons undertake responsibility for assessing the relevance and accuracy of its contents.
Under the Betting Control Act 1954, the Commission may issue licences for domestic betting operators which include conditions for minimum bet limits.
The purpose of this guideline is to clarify the legislative requirements that apply to minimum bet limits for thoroughbred, greyhound and/or harness racing in Western Australia.
Minimum bet limits refer to the amount a punter can win, not how much can be staked or collected. Rules stipulate that the minimum bet size must be accepted by bookmakers on all fixed-odds bets.
For example, a domestic betting operator with a racing year turnover over $3 million, on a WA Trotting Club harness race, a win bet can be placed to the limit of $1000. This means that if the punter is backing a horse to win at odds of $5, the minimum bet the wagering operator must allow them to stake is $250. Bets less than $250 must also be accepted.
Stake: $250Price: $5Collect: $1250Win: $1000
In WA, minimum bet limits only apply on bets placed from 9:00am for day meetings or from 2:00pm for night meetings on race day.
Minimum bet limits in WA depend on the racing year turnover of the domestic betting operator.
While the racing year turnover of a domestic betting operator is less than $3 million, a win bet must be accepted to not exceed the amount set out in the below table for each race type:
WA Trotting Association (WATA) harness race
A thoroughbred race on a Saturday, if no race is conducted by WATC on that Saturday, conducted by:
WATA harness race
Non-compliance with minimum bets limits conditions could result in the Commission cancelling or suspending the authorisation of a domestic betting operator.
Increases to minimum bet limits occur on the day that racing year turnovers meet or exceed $3 million. Domestic betting operators are responsible for tracking their own racing year turnovers to ensure compliance with the correct minimum bet limit.
The domestic betting operator must not do any act or refuse to do any act to avoid complying with minimum bet limits including but not limited to:
The domestic betting operator is not required to accept a bet if any of the following apply:
At first instance, punters who believe that a domestic betting operator has refused their bet or excluded them in contravention of the minimum bet limit condition should contact the domestic betting operator to ascertain the reason for the refusal or exclusion.
If the punter remains unsatisfied with the reason provided, then they may lodge a formal complaint with the Commission. As part of the complaint, a punter will need to state what action they have taken to contact the domestic betting operator and the outcome including any reasons given to the punter.