1964: ACTTAB set up as a separate entity to take off-course bets on horse races. It runs a totalisator scheme: bets on a race are totalled and dividends calculated so 85 per cent of takings are returned as winnings. The remaining 15 per cent to go to administration, government and the racing industry.
July 2, 1985: Northern Territory TAB starts. ACTTAB runs computer services and pooling operations, collecting 0.5 per cent of turnover.
1991: ACTTAB made a territory-owned corporation.
Late June 1993: Meetings between ACTTAB representatives and Vitab principals and former Prime Minister Bob Hawke, a Vitab shareholder. Vanuatu-based Vitab says it has got the second betting licence in Vanuatu and proposes that ACTTAB provide computer and technical services and access to the superpool in return for a percentage of turnover.
July 1, 1993: Decorporatised and made statutory authority. Athol Williams appointed chair, replacing Jim Colquhoun.
July 1, 1993: ACTTAB signs confidentiality agreement with Vitab.
July 23: Meetings between the Minister for Sport, Wayne Berry, and ACTTAB representatives and later the departmental head. Some legal and financial checks, but no character checks, put in train
October 22: Berry approves ACTTAB entering into the agreement and ACTTAB signs agreement with Vitab. ACTTAB to get 1.5 per cent of turnover in the first year and 1 per cent thereafter.
November 8: Vitab launched publicly.
November-April: Opposition questions Government in Assembly at every opportunity about Vitab, making allegations about betting offences of the principals’ associates and a betting charge against Vitab director Cornelius McMahon. It questioned whether it was possible that Vitab could lure large Australian punters with higher returns via Asian agents through telephone betting to Vanuatu.
Minister refuses to table Vitab agreement, tells Assembly it is a good deal for the ACT.
November: Vitab gives assurance that it would not poach Australian punters. Assurance held later to be unenforceable.
January 18: Vitab opens shop in Vanuatu.
January 31: VicTAB gives six months notice of its intention to terminate the agreement between it and ACTTAB which gave ACTTAB access to the super pool (Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania). Victorian Minister for Sport expresses concern about Vitab link.
March 29: Professor Dennis Pearce appointed under the Inquiries Act to inquire into Vitab.
April 12: Legislative Assembly passed vote of no confidence against the Minister for Sport, Wayne Berry, for misleading the Assembly by saying all was well even though he knew Victoria had given notice to terminate access to the superpool. Berry resigns as Minister.
June 2: Professor Pearce reports to Chief Minister.
June 15: Report tabled in Assembly.
June-July: Continued negotiations with NSW TAB and VicTAB to ensure ACTTAB has a pooling link with a major TAB. Without it, ACTTAB dividends would become more erratic and the ACT might lose punters to phone accounts interstate.