Faster, smarter experiments helped Tabcorp unlock retail innovation (and rethink how they work)
When Tabcorp set out to reinvent its approach to innovation, they weren’t looking for a shiny new tool, they were searching for a better way to think. The shift from opinion-led decisions to evidence-backed bets didn’t just change how products were tested, it changed how the company worked.
From July 2023 through to early 2025, Exponentially helped Tabcorp validate dozens of real-world experiments, uncover millions in cost avoidance, and transform an internal culture of delivery into one of discovery.
This was only possible with strong Leadership support from Jenni Barnett, Alan Sharvin, Jack Simpson, Amber Jenkinson, and Patrick Smith.
About Tabcorp
Tabcorp is a leading Australian gambling entertainment company, offering wagering, media, and gaming services across digital and retail channels.
At the time of this work, Tabcorp had over 45 people in product and design and was overseeing more than a dozen delivery squads. While innovation was on the org chart, it wasn’t yet a capability but more of a “thought bubble” waiting to be brought to life.
Innovation focus
Tabcorp’s innovation push was about building a future-fit business that was capable of making smarter bets on what to build, buy, or back.
Core innovation objective: Increase return on invested capital by making better bets on new product ideas
Strategic direction: Build a third horizon capability that could support both internal product and global venture investment
Cultural aim: Shift from opinion-based delivery to a test-and-learn culture grounded in customer evidence
But they faced some real hurdles:
Speed: While delivery was fast, the right ideas weren’t always making it through the funnel
Structure: There was no consistent experimentation framework in place
Buy-in: Innovation didn’t yet have permission or processes to operate across teams or navigate regulatory complexity
Choosing a software platform
Tabcorp wasn’t initially shopping for software to solve these challenges.
The decision to adopt Exponentially’s methodology using Pretotyping for rapid experimentation came through a network of trusted internal leaders, and what started as curiosity quickly became conviction.
“Within the first 15 minutes, I could see there was something I’d been missing that I didn’t even know I needed,” said Patrick Smith, Head of Innovation at the time on his first look at Rapidly.
Rather than chase flashy innovation theatre, Smith and the team started by co-designing new ways of working with Tabcorp’s legal, risk, and responsible gambling teams, building the right guardrails before launching experiments in live environments.
“The tool wasn’t the hook, the method was,” Smith said. “But once we had the foundation, Rapidly became critical in helping us scale the capability and create visibility across the business.”
Real-world experiments
One standout experiment involved exploring the use of QR codes for customer acquisition - a test many initially dismissed as “too small” to focus on. But the team persisted, and through repeated testing, they transformed what had previously been ignored — in-venue screens and broadcast overlays — into high-performing conversion tools.
It didn’t work straight away, however — in fact, the QR code experiments failed several times — but because the team could track what they were learning from each experiment in Rapidly, they knew the approach was working and they were slowly inching towards a breakthrough. That visibility gave them the confidence to keep iterating until it clicked.
The ultimate turning point came during the Melbourne Cup, where a QR code was even placed on a helicopter to drive live engagement at the event. This was a bet the team may not have otherwise been willing to make if they had not shifted to an experimentation-led approach which provided the incremental evidence needed to eventually execute such an innovative idea.
“Traditionally, our screens had been pseudo marketing screens and so had just become noise,” Patrick said. “We were able to turn them, through testing in the right spaces, into conversion channels that drove a measurable outcome in a way that no one had been able to do before.”
Results
Over 18 months, the Exponentially Platform helped Tabcorp establish a repeatable innovation capability embedded within its product culture, proving value both financially and culturally.
Some of the key achievements included:
Launched 130+ real-world experiments in 12 months including tests with real customers in production
Reduced idea to experiment from months to 8 days and significantly cut decision-making time by introducing structured, evidence-led experiments at the idea stage
Saved $12M in avoided costs and generated $7.3M in revenue by systematically abandoning ideas that proved unfruitful, whilst doubling down on those that showed promise
Set and hit targets for experimentation velocity (8 experiments per month), training (200+ staff trained), and cross-functional engagement (100+ staff engaged in running experiments), ensuring the model scaled beyond a single team
Improved stakeholder confidence by designing a co-owned experimentation process with Legal and Risk
Created a culture shift that transformed delivery-focused teams into strategic experimenters
Embedded Rapid Experimentation using Pretotyping, a world-class methodology created at Google and perfected at Stanford.
Looking ahead
While organisational shifts meant Tabcorp’s formal innovation function was eventually absorbed back into delivery, the impact of Exponentially’s work lives on. The language, mindset, and structure of pretotyping reshaped how teams think and what they believe is possible.
As Smith reflects:
“We had 12–18 months of the best work of my career. Even if the structure didn’t survive, the mindset did and I’ll take that into every future role.”
