Venue Manager

AVC takes two in the Sunshine. Posted on September 25th, 2026 by Clyde Mooney Australian Venue Co has further consolidated its outlook in the Sunshine State, acquiring two prominent licensed venues from the same private operator. Both considered local landmarks, AVC is taking over operations at Bartlett's Tavern in Rockhampton and the Black Nugget Hotel Motel in Moranbah, representing a significant expansion of its footprint in high-growth resource and agricultural hubs in central Queensland. The large format Black Nugget Hotel Motel is on an expansive 1.7-Ha site in the Bowen Basin coal mining hub that is Moranbah, roughly 190 kilometres west of Mackay, with its population of close to 10k people that includes a large number of fly-in fly-out (FIFO) mine workers. The Nugget offers a popular public sports bar, gaming room with 40 machines, bistro, beer garden, both drive-through and walk-in bottleshops, and a 28-room motel complex that was recently expanded to accommodate demand. Bartlett's Tavern is in the heart of Rockhampton City and a staple of its community, featuring a sports bar with TAB and Keno, gaming room with 40 EGMs, bistro and three bottleshops, operating under the Liquor Legends banner. Recently the O'Haras have cashed in the capital in two Rockhampton pubs, selling both the Parkhurst Tavern mid-2025 and the Gracemere Hotel later that year. Agents say there are more sale announcements to reveal "in coming weeks". AVC purchased the operations from a private family. The freehold of the Black Nugget remains part of the Sentinel Northern Australia Investment Fund, providing a long-term corporate lease arrangement, while the bricks and mortar at Bartletts Tavern's remains in private hands. Buoyed by strong financial results, AVC has had a lot of portfolio activity this calendar year. In January the VC-backed company took four pubs from Solotel, including Double Bay's famous Golden Sheaf, then Solotel's Newtown Hotel, then its The Clock and The Bank. Beyond its relentless capex program on existing venues in the portfolio, now counting over 250 pubs around the country, AVC has begun pushing further into the accommodation market, launching rooms at the Coomera Lodge Hotel in recent months. This market is understood to be a motivator in acquiring the Black Nugget. "Regional Queensland has been highly sought by seasoned operators and investors over the last 12 months, with a number of large-scale transactions in both the central and northern regions of Queensland having recently transacted," says HTL Property's Glenn Price, who brokered the sales to AVC with HTL CEO Andrew Jolliffe. The pub industry is enjoying a buoyant period, both in trade and transactions, with close to $2 billion in sales around the country having already occurred during 2026. "For Queensland, the race to the 2032 Olympics is likely to only bolster trade for hotel venues and in turn increase the acquisition desirability of the asset class, by both Queensland-based and national operators," adds Price.

Tabcorp and AVC extend partnership. Tabcorp and Australian Venue Co (AVC) have extended their partnership for a further five years, with more than 100 AVC pubs set to receive Tabcorp's new retail wagering experience. The agreement, which commenced on 1 July, will see AVC venues benefit from Tabcorp's $50m investment in its retail network, including new customer offerings such as TAB Time, TAB Live and TAB's Shout, alongside upgraded in-venue technology. The deal also includes continued access to Sky Racing broadcasts, which deliver more than 150,000 live race events to pubs each year. Jarrod Villani, Chief Commercial & Media Officer at Tabcorp, said the partnership would strengthen the racing and sports entertainment experience across the AVC network. "We're delighted to secure a long-term partnership with one of the nation's iconic pub groups in AVC. Together we're looking forward to promoting TAB's refreshed retail offering across their venues. The new model is working. To date, we've seen double digit, digital in venue turnover growth across our network," he said. "Our new model is about bringing more people into local pubs and clubs and we can't wait to execute that with AVC. This deal is about evolving and innovating the customer experience in AVC venues and punters are going to see further step changes over the next year. "Retail is at the heart of everything we are doing strategically at Tabcorp. We're delivering a different proposition, injecting unprecedented levels of promotions and new initiatives into the network and that will only continue as part of this deal." As part of the agreement, Tabcorp will upgrade the look and feel of wagering areas within AVC venues through enhanced odds screens and the rollout of new Next Gen betting terminals. The partnership also expands the role of Tabcorp's integrity and gaming services business, MAX, across AVC venues in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia. Craig Ellison, AVC's Chief Operating Officer, said the investment would improve both the wagering and gaming experience for customers and venue teams. "Racing and sport have always been part of what makes a great pub, and our partnership with Tabcorp raises the bar on what that looks like across our venues. Our customers will see a more engaging TAB and Sky Racing offer backed by real investment in the technology and in-venue experience. "The expanded MAX agreement strengthens our operational support across gaming services, giving our teams the tools to manage them safely and efficiently at scale. "Tabcorp are a strong partner and we look forward to what the next five years delivers for our venues and our customers." Nick Keenan, General Manager of MAX, said the expanded agreement would support safer and more efficient gaming operations across the AVC network. "This expanded partnership reinforces MAX's position as a market leader in gaming technology and integrated venue services, with a proven ability to deliver operational excellence at scale," he said. "MAX's integrated MAXONE platform was central to the agreement, combining technology, service, data and support into a single operating model that improves efficiency and service performance across AVC venues." April 5, 2022 September 23, 2022 Tabcorp and the Victoria Racing Club have today announced a new eight-year sponsorship deal, which extends the existing relationship to 2024. March 11, 2016