Sports organisations and franchises in Australia have reiterated a commitment to making sports betting safer in the country.
So far this week, three sports organisations have shared a decision to extend their partnership agreements with the Reclaim the Game campaign of the Government of New South Wales (NSW) for two more years, hoping that the move would eventually help sports fans and gambling customers get away from match-fixing and various destructive gambling patterns.
The three sports organisations that backed the NSW Government’s Reclaim the Game campaign include A-League soccer clubs Macarthur FC and Western Sydney Wanderers, as well as Cricket NSW. The clubs have made a commitment to no longer promote gambling operators’ products and services as part of the authorities’ efforts to reduce underage sports fans’ exposure to gambling adverts, which have long been making gambling look normal to more vulnerable people and children.
In other words, under their engagement to participate in the aforementioned campaign, Cricket NSW and the two A-League soccer clubs will permit gambling advertising materials to appear neither on their home stadiums nor on their social media channels. The three clubs will not have their names and brands associated with gambling companies.
Raising Sports Fans’ Awareness of Risks Associated with Gambling Is Important, Campaigners Say
As revealed by the sports clubs, the ban will apply to both men’s and women’s teams, with all games played by these clubs in home stadiums also being subject to the ban. However, gambling ads may still be displayed by opposing teams when they appear at the aforementioned clubs’ stadiums to play as guests.
The renewed partnership was welcomed by Anthony Keon, the CEO of Hospitality and Racing, according to whom the extended partnerships are a strong display of faith in the Government’s Reclaim the Game campaign by sports franchises that realise how important it is to keep sports betting materials and promotions away from stadiums and club’s social media channels. Mr Keon further noted that it was extremely important for clubs to boost their supporters’ awareness of gambling-related harm.
The initiative has already been joined by 14 sports teams who have decided to end their sports betting partnership agreements in order to raise awareness of gambling addiction and gambling-related harm, and to help educate sports fans and consumers about the dangers of the activity. According to Mr Keon, the Reclaim the Game initiative was an excellent way for young men, who are considered the individuals most at-risk of developing gambling addiction, to educate themselves on the risks linked to the activity.
The Hospitality and Racing CEO cited some data, according to which 41% of regular sports bettors are facing no less than one symptom of problem gambling behaviour. The cited data reveals that one in 20 adults in the state of NSW is already betting, while children and young people access too much gambling advertising.
Research cited by Mr Koen revealed that half of the NSW teenagers aged 12-17 saw gambling adverts on television channels every week. That is why he believes that the participation of popular football clubs and Cricket NSW in the program is a major step forward in order to make sure that the campaign meets its objectives.
- Author
Daniel Williams
