Partnership well and truly over

After more than 20 years of working together, the Comiskey Group and TAB officially parted ways last month, with betting services withdrawn from all Comiskey Group hotels across Queensland following the expiry of their venue agreement. 

The long-standing agreement concluded on June 30, 2026, with Tabcorp ceasing operations at the group's venues from July 1 after the Comiskey Group declined to accept a proposed new five-year contract. 

According to the Comiskey Group, the new agreement introduced significantly higher weekly venue fees, reduced commission payments, mandatory upfront investments ranging from $15,000 to $21,000 per venue for TAB-owned equipment, and provisions that shifted certain regulatory responsibilities to hotel operators. 

Comiskey Group Director Rob Comiskey said the business could not justify accepting the new terms as it was “both unfair and not commercially sustainable”. 

“The new contract would have cost our business hundreds of thousands of dollars each year through higher fees, lower commissions and additional costs,” Mr Comiskey said. “Hotels have supported TAB for decades, but this deal shifts even more cost and risk onto the venues that actually hold this network together.” 

Mr Comiskey said the proposed agreement reflected an imbalance in the relationship between the wagering operator and hospitality venues. 

“It shows a pretty clear view of how little Tabcorp value the Australian hotel industry,” he said. “These venues carry the staffing, infrastructure, security, utilities and day-to-day operations that make retail wagering possible, and yet they’re being asked to pay more while taking on more risk. At some point, that stops being a partnership. The partnership is well and truly over.” 

Mr Comiskey believes the dispute extends beyond his own business and could have broader implications for Queensland's racing sector. 

“This isn’t just about Comiskey Group,” he said. “This is a short-term profit play that risks long-term damage to the Queensland racing industry. If you strip viability from the venues that drive turnover and engagement, you inevitably weaken the ecosystem that depends on them.” 

He also questioned whether the industry's current direction was sustainable. 

“Frankly, how anyone in the industry can look at this model and think it’s fair or sustainable is beyond me,” Mr Comiskey said. “It feels like a shift away from partnership and towards extraction, and the industry will feel the consequences of that over time.” 

The withdrawal affects TAB facilities at Sandstone Point Hotel, Dakabin Hotel, Samford Hotel, Eatons Hill Hotel and The Imperial Hotel Eumundi. It also means two future Comiskey Group developments, the Country Club Hotel in Strathpine and the Aura Hotel on the Sunshine Coast, will proceed without TAB facilities despite originally being designed to include them. 

Mr Comiskey said the situation wasn’t isolated and other venue operators were also facing similar challenges. 

“They say they’ve consulted with the industry—but by ‘consulted,’ they mean: sign it or be cut off,” he said. “Many of us are standing up for our industry and refusing to sign. Others are understandably cautious about the risk of losing patronage without TAB — it’s a David and Goliath situation for many venues. We believe we’refighting the right fight, standing up for ourselves and our industry peers that can’t.” 

He added that hotels were already responsible for the majority of the operating expenses associated with retail wagering. Despite the change, the Comiskey Group said patrons will continue to enjoy all other services, including dining, gaming machines, Keno and live entertainment, while the former TAB areas are repurposed for new uses. 

“We’re disappointed it has come to this because it will inconvenience some of our loyal customers,” Mr Comiskey said. “But our responsibility is to ensure every part of the venue stacks up commercially and delivers value for guests. Quite frankly, this deal is un-Australian and not something we can support.”