Aussie Rugby Teams Join New South Wales to Reject Sports Bet Sponsors
The New South Wales-led anti-sports betting initiative “Reclaim the Game,” has added two more sports teams. Two National Rugby League teams have joined the growing campaign. The program targets the reduction of betting advertising and sponsorships in sports to the point that they don’t have to connect.
New South Wales (NSW) wants to keep sports betting and sports away from each other. Certain government figures believe they can’t coexist in harmony. They’ve convinced a number of sports teams of the same.
No Room for Sports Betting in Sports
Nine clubs in various sports, including basketball, soccer, cricket, and the National Rugby League (NRL) are part of NSW’s “Reclaim the Game” initiative.
Two more teams are now in the group. The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and the South Sydney Rabbitohs of the NRL have announced their involvement, according to The Guardian. They will no longer allow sports betting-related sponsorships on their uniforms and will refrain from participating in any sportsbook-led promotions.
Our community plays such a big role in our club, and we felt that this is a campaign we can support to reduce community exposure to sports betting advertising,” said Blake Solly, the CEO of the Rabbitohs.
Both teams decided to join the campaign for similar reasons. They explained that, as community-driven clubs, they have an obligation to present themselves in a family-friendly light. However, that attention to the community wasn’t on their mind a few years ago when a number of Bulldogs were busted for dancing naked at a NSW bar.
The decision to join may not be in keeping with the wishes of the NRL, but the clubs can make their own choices. The league has an ongoing relationship with Sportsbet that it would prefer not to lose.
NSW Not Alone in Anti-Ad Campaign
Sports, as well as sports betting, is big business in Australia. It has always been an important part of the community. The increase in sports betting has, logically, brought together both sides. However, some now feel that sports betting operators are a little too overzealous with their advertising.
Australian Football League (AFL) clubs have taken a proactive approach to address their links with the betting industry in the past decade. Several teams from Victoria partnered with the Victorian Responsible Gaming Foundation and ended their betting-related sponsorships.
Public debate has centered on the prevalence of gambling ads on Australian TV, especially during sporting events. This mirrors developments in the UK, where sponsorship arrangements, and limitations, in sports will likely be made as a result of the 2005 Gambling Act Review.
Tabcorp CEO David Attenborough demanded restrictions on advertising last spring, with the exception being during racing events. He cited a need for the protection of vulnerable people and a limit to children’s exposure to betting activity.
Those are legitimate reasons for implementing controls and requirements. However, life has already shown that approaching any topic with blinders on only makes matters worse.
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