Australian sporting bodies push back against gambling regulation

Despite concerns from Australian clubs and athletes, the governing bodies of some of the most prominent sporting codes in the country have expressed their disapproval concerning the demand for more online gambling regulation.

The Coalition of Major Professional and Participation Sports (COMPPS) was part of the opposition, highlighting the benefits of the current arrangement. COMPPS consists of Australian organisations like AFL, NRL, Tennis Australia, Netball Australia, Football Australia, and others that oversee the most prominent sports in the country.

In a submission to a federal parliamentary inquiry, the peak body claimed that the advertising and broadcast restrictions in effect were enough when paired with the measures taken by individual sporting codes.

Jo Setright, the executive director of policy of COMPPS, said the current situation struck an agreeable balance between “the public interest in watching sport without excessive references to gambling and live odds or undue exposure of viewers including children to gambling promotion” and allowing betting operators to promote their offerings in a way deemed socially responsible.

She further stated that the revenue from gambling partnerships aids in the development of grassroots sports and integrity units.

“Any measures that impact the advertising revenue model for broadcasters may affect the value of sports’ media rights, which [our] members use to fund their grassroots and game development and other programs,” Setright said.

Labor MP Peta Murphy, the chair of the federal parliamentary inquiry, responded to COMPPS’s statement, stating that it was not in agreement with the community’s opinions. She also said it did not align with reports detailing the increase in gambling in the country and, subsequently, gambling harm.

“That does not gel well with the clear community sentiment, and it does not gel well with some of the evidence we are receiving from experts about increasing gambling and increasing gambling harm,” Murphy said.

“Obviously the committee wants to interrogate that position with them and give them the opportunity to talk to it.”

Over the past few months, a number of clubs and athletes have faulted gambling companies for their onslaught of advertisements. The Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation revealed that in 2021, an average of 948 wagering promotions were broadcast daily in the state on free-to-air television

The aggrieved parties expressed concern over the promotions and how they were increasingly being categorised as a regular component of sporting activities.

Canterbury Bulldogs and South Sydney Rabbitohs, both part of the NRL, previously revealed that betting promotions would be banned on the big screens and ground signage at their home games. All gambling-related sponsorship would also be taken off all club attire.

The chief executive of the Rabbitohs, Blake Solly, had no response to COMPPS’s statement. He did, however, state that the NRL club would continue to support the Reclaim the Game campaign, which aims to decrease the number of sports betting promotions that fans are subjected to.

Besides the NRL clubs, athletes from the AFL, such as Melbourne ruckman Brodie Grundy, have expressed concern over the number of gambling advertisements underaged fans are being exposed to.

In the report to the inquiry revenue, COMPPS said the earnings of the wagering partnerships were used by the governing bodies to fund operational priorities such as their integrity units.

“It is important that any review of online gambling regulation recognises the need for such funding to continue in order to support the maintenance and, where necessary, strengthening of the sports’ integrity protection programs,” Setright revealed.

In the past years, Australia has struggled with gambling problems and produced the highest gambling losses suffered by a country. The nation records a loss of $1,276 a person on average yearly and has an increasingly high percentage of problem gambling among its adult citizens. In 2019, the rate jumped from 0.6%, recorded in 2011, to 1.23%.

To curb the increasing gambling issues, in November, the Australian government revealed that instead of “gamble responsibly” it would ensure gambling firms include one of six new warnings in its advertisement taglines to serve as deterrents to punters. One such warning is, “Chances are you’re about to lose.”

David Littleproud, the Nationals leader, approved the changes and stated that the government should consider entirely banning gambling advertisements in the country.

“We need to have a conversation about whether or not gambling ads should be on at all – especially given that children are often watching sport, or families are together to support their favourite team when the betting ads come on,” the Nationals leader said.