This year’s Powercor Stawell Gift carnival will not give spectators the opportunity to place bets despite the event’s traditional ties to sports betting. The Stawell Gift has been an annual racing event since 1878, and, as specified by Stawell Gift Event Management Limited (SGEM) on Thursday, the 2024 carnival is set to be held from March 30th to April 1st.
According to SGEM Chair Murray Emerson, a notable number of the individuals who will be participating in the racing event are under-19s, including the defending champions who will be competing in the Powercor Stawell Gift and the Strickland Family Women’s Gift. The age of these competitors is cited as the reason behind the ban.
As for why athletes being under 19 presents an obstacle to sports betting, the SGEM cited a relatively new policy by the Victoria Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC), according to which enabling the placing of bets on sports events involving competitors who have not yet turned 19 is prohibited.
The said policy was revealed in August 2023, with concerns surrounding the integrity of sports, the normalisation of gambling when it comes to events that minors participate in, and the way minors are susceptible to gambling and the harm that can accompany the practice being given as the reasons behind the ban’s implementation. As previously reported by Casino Guardian, the VGCCC specified that the changes also concern open events that individual minors compete in. Moreover, wagering on an open event between teams involving some team members who are under 18 is still allowed so long as the bets are not made on the outcomes concerning individual participants.
Compliance with the Rules is Mandatory
Under the VGCCC’s rules, failure to adhere to the prohibition is classed as an offence punishable with prosecution and the revocation of VGCCC approval. Therefore, Stawell Gift’s compliance with the regulation, while something that some punters will without a doubt be disappointed by, should not come as a surprise. In yesterday’s announcement, Emerson also emphasised that the SGEM is “committed to the integrity of the event” and to both spectators’ and athletes’ well-being, which is why the SGEM had come to the decision to go forward with the ban.
The year 2023 was marked by a number of other policy changes by the Victorian gambling regulator, many of which were introduced by the VGCCC as part of the Gambling Legislation Amendment Bill 2023. The said bill includes a variety of regulations that aim to combat gambling harm.
Among the reforms is a rule surrounding the implementation of cash-less play when it comes to electronic gambling machines (EGMs), measures that aim to tackle the issue of excessive gaming hours, and more amendments that concern EGMs in particular as they are viewed as one of the most damaging forms of gambling. Just like the ban surrounding the betting on sports events involving under-19 athletes, these regulations are to be adhered to, and companies that violate the rules will face significant consequences.
- Author
Daniel Williams
