BetMakers Technology Group sought to cool market speculation on Thursday, confirming that preliminary and informal discussions with Tabcorp about a potential change-of-control transaction have ended and that no formal offer was ever received. BetMakers said the contact was exploratory and centred on “opportunities” for its wagering-technology products, which it already supplies to Tabcorp under an existing commercial agreement.
The statement followed an Australian Financial Review report that portrayed the outreach as an active takeover process, and BetMakers emphasised the difference between early-stage contact and formal deal talks. Tabcorp has been described as an Australian gambling operator with a market value of roughly A$2bn.
Trading activity spiked before the clarification. BetMakers entered a trading halt pending an announcement, after shares reportedly moved from about A$0.20 to A$0.23—briefly pushing its market capitalisation beyond A$250m—before sliding back near A$0.20 after trade resumed.
Industry watchers see a clear strategic rationale for Tabcorp: faster platform modernisation and potential synergies by leveraging BetMakers’ B2B stack. Tabcorp CEO Gillon McLachlan and BetMakers chair Matt Davey were named among senior figures linked to the discussions.
Separately, Tabcorp recently paid an A$158,400 penalty after the Australian Communications and Media Authority found it accepted 426 prohibited online in-play wagers across 32 tennis matches between February 2024 and June 2025, under Australia’s Interactive Gambling Act 2001.
