George Adams (14 March 1839 – 23 September 1904) was an Australian publican and lottery promoter best known as the founder of Tattersall's.

He was the fourth son of William Adams, farm labourer, and his wife Martha, née Gilbey.

Adams started as a gold miner in Kanoona, Queensland before working on sheep stations in New South Wales and setting up a stock dealer and butcher in Goulburn.

He later acquired the Bulli Coal Company, in 1894, and commenced reconstruction of its jetty to accommodate larger ships.

Religious groups opposed this form of gambling and in 1892 convinced the New South Wales state government to pass laws prohibiting the delivery of letters containing sweeps.

He moved to Hobart in 1896, after "Tattersall's Consultations" had been forced out of NSW in 1893, and facing a similar fate in QLD (Telegraph Chambers, Queen St., Brisbane) during 1895.

He drew up the finally adopted plan of selling lottery tickets to imburse cash, while handing out real estate items owned by the VDL bank, or serving as security for credits handed out by the VDL Bank.

[10] The first home to his enterprise became Fysh's Building, Elizabeth St., Hobart,[11] where a first sweep was conducted on the Anniversary Handicap, run at Randwick, 26 Jan 1896.

[12][13] "On 1 June 1897, the Tasmanian Government granted Tattersall's Consultations an exclusive License to conduct lotteries under The Suppression of Public Betting and Gaming Act, 1896.

The license cost the proprietor George Adams £10,000, and permanently wedded the fortunes of the Government with the financial success of Tattersall's Consultations.

At the time of his death, Adams was contracted to buy more real estate in Tasmania and had intended to start business as a maltster and brewer.

The updated list kept to be a well protected secrecy and was only published at the verge of floating share of the Tatts Group.