Australia’s National Rugby League (NRL) is planning on selling its broadcasting rights to US-facing gambling operators, which would enable the said companies to stream NRL games on their betting platforms. As described by anonymous sources who got in touch with the Sydney Morning Herald, the potential deal includes a package surrounding a revenue share agreement involving odds.
Speaking with the Sydney Morning Herald, Matt Tripp, former CEO of BetEasy and current Chairman of the Melbourne Storm club, deemed it essential for the NRL to ensure that sportsbooks will have an easy time integrating the league’s broadcasting solution into their platforms.
Despite this being a potentially lucrative business opportunity, there is nonetheless the issue of the NRL being involved with gambling companies. An anonymous sports marketing agency chief reached out to the Aussie news website B&T and provided further insight into the matter and, specifically, how this situation is tied to the advertising of gambling.
According to them, this course of action is “the lesser of two evils’’ given how sports betting operators’ platforms are age-restricted and have measures in place that serve to prevent bettors from wagering recklessly. The alternative is for ads to be “plastered” on stadiums and for gambling promotions to be aired on television, which poses the risk of both children and bettors designated as at-risk gamblers being exposed to the advertisement of betting. With this in mind, the chief told B&T that it is likely better to prioritise other aspects of wagering and its promotion when it comes to regulation.
The Issue of Regulating Gambling Ads in Australia and Abroad
Meanwhile, Australian broadcasters could be forced to cease the promotion of online gambling in the near future if the Government introduces a new piece of legislation as per a recommendation of the Standing Committee on Social Policy. As previously reported by Casino Guardian, a report conducted by the Committee found a correlation between the promotion of online wagering and gambling harm. As a result, the Committee called for the promotion of online gambling to be prohibited by 2026.
Other jurisdictions looking into introducing further restrictions on the promotion of gambling are the UK and Ireland, although neither is planning on taking measures that are quite as drastic as what the Standing Committee on Social Policy has proposed for Australia.
In Ireland, regulators are looking into banning promotional initiatives involving free bets and their advertisement, as well as placing a restriction on when gambling can be advertised when it comes to broadcasting. Namely, such ads would only be permitted during the watershed, i.e., between 9:00 pm and 5:30 am.
As for the UK, the Gambling White Paper includes recommendations for stricter regulation on gambling ads and the introduction of a cap on the wagering requirements tied to advertised promotions. It should also be noted that the Premier League has decided to not feature gambling sponsor ads on the front of players’ shirts starting the 2026-27 season.
- Author
Daniel Williams
