That is a hefty cash injection for the racing industry, but at the cost of privatising our betting industry to make way for a global gambling organisation. Racing minister Kieran McAnulty has just approved a 25-year deal transferring our own TAB NZ betting operations to British gambling giant Entain, a deal that sees Entain fronting up $900m for our racing industry in the first five years. But the deal is shortsighted and potentially dangerous, writes Terry Leisman. The government insists it just saved the TAB by handing over operations to an overseas gambling company.
