A spokesman for Tabcorp, the company that owns the TAB gaming operation, said the decision to open on what is widely seen as the most important day in the Christian calendar was completely at the discretion of the agents operating outlets.

He said it was unlikely Port Macquarie TAB operators would have reached a decision.

There are no horse-race meetings on Good Friday in Australia, but punters would be able to bet on events in Singapore and South Africa.

A local counsellor would prefer to see the closure remain in place.

“If there’s one day in the year when people with gambling problems get a break from gambling, it helps minimise the harm it can cause,” Anita Hartley, of Mission Australia’s North Coast Gambling Counselling Service, said.

“All forms of gambling involve some form of risk and people with gambling problems have difficulty in assessing and seeing the risks clearly.”

Ms Hartley said those gambling on races held abroad could face a higher risk, as they were likely to be less informed than they would with Australian horses and riders.

Two church ministers in Port Macquarie would not be surprised if TAB outlets were to open on Good Friday.

“It’s probably another indication of how Good Friday has become less significant in the public’s perception,” Joseph Maticic of Port Macquarie’s Seventh-day Adventist Church said.

Mark Minturn, senior minister at the Port Macquarie Coastside church agreed.

“My first thought is that, for people gambling every day, it’s not going to change anything,” Mr Minturn said.

He said he did not want to take a stand against gambling on Good Friday or any other day.

But he feared opening TAB outlets on a national public holiday could deprive those with addictions the opportunity of spending time with their spouses and families.

“Everything that devalues a Christian event devalues Australia as a Christian country, which is what we are,” Mr Minturn said.

Port Macquarie Race Club president Brian Burgmann, said any decision to add Good Friday to the venue’s calendar would fall to the governing body, Racing NSW.