Approval from the responsible Government Minister is required for a casino operator to offer or conduct a betting competition (either with fixed odds or conducted on a totalisator). The approval may be given for a betting competition for either:
- a horse race, harness race, or greyhound race
- any other race, fight, game, sport or exercise, or any other event or contingency of any kind. Crown Melbourne Limited currently holds the only casino licence. The licence will not expire until 2033.
A casino operator cannot seek approval for a betting competition:
- if the holder of the wagering licence or the wagering operator is proposing to conduct wagering on that race
- if, in the opinion of the Minister, the event is offensive or contrary to the public interest
- that is played on a gaming machine
- that is a club keno game.