South Australia's equal opportunity commissioner wants additional powers which would allow her to investigate discrimination complaints, even when a victim has not come forward.

Key points: Aboriginal fans were allegedly turned away from an AFL match at Adelaide Oval

Aboriginal fans were allegedly turned away from an AFL match at Adelaide Oval Niki Vincent said her ability to respond to the incident was limited because of state legislation

Niki Vincent said her ability to respond to the incident was limited because of state legislation The equal opportunity commissioner is pushing for stronger powers

If agreed to by the State Government, the reforms would give the commissioner the ability to investigate alleged discrimination on the basis of a whistleblower complaint or media reports.

Commissioner Niki Vincent said she had no powers to act on the complaint of an Adelaide Oval box office whistleblower, who last month told the ABC she had been instructed to refuse to sell tickets to Aboriginal people.

The incident occurred during NAIDOC week last year at a football match featuring Indigenous teams from South Australia, before an AFL game between Adelaide and Geelong.

It prompted criticism and dismay from sporting and political leaders.

Because Indigenous people were allegedly told at the Adelaide Oval gate that the event was sold out, people affected may not have known they were the victims of discrimination.

Dr Vincent said she wrote to the parties concerned about the issue, but the only way she could have taken further action would have been by getting the Attorney-General's permission to apply to a tribunal for permission to investigate.

Such a step would have then granted Dr Vincent only limited powers to compel evidence from organisations.

"It's a very complex, time-consuming and untenable way to operate, and in the 30 years that power has been in the Equal Opportunity Act it's never been used," she said.

Dr Vincent said she favoured the model used by her Victorian counterpart, which gave much broader parameters for an investigation to be launched.

"The Victorian Equal Opportunity Act allows that commissioner, with a number of checks and balances in place, to actually investigate a complaint directly," she said.

"Having those powers would mean we could investigate much better where we thought systemic discrimination was going on."

Dr Vincent is working on a proposal, modelled on Victoria's legislation, to take to the State Government.

Discrimination victims 'may not have known'

A whistleblower says she was told not to sell Aboriginal people tickets to an Adelaide Oval game. ( ABC News: Malcolm Sutton )

A similar discrimination case in the Northern Territory unearthed by the ABC last month prevented the territory's Racial Discrimination Commission from acting for the same reasons.

In that case, staff at a hotel run by Australia's largest hotel group were directed to segregate Aboriginal people into inferior rooms, while collecting the same fee as other guests.

South Australian Attorney-General Vickie Chapman said she was yet to receive a submission from the equal opportunity commissioner about the proposed reforms.

"I will consider the issue when I receive the proposal," Ms Chapman said in a statement.

Shadow Attorney-General Kyam Maher said the "disturbing case" at Adelaide Oval highlighted a gap in the law.

"[The victims] may not have known at all that they were being discriminated against," he said.

"We're starting to have a look now at what happens in other jurisdictions around Australia.

"We'd be keen to work with the Government to see if changes need to be made here."