When it comes to professional sport and gambling sponsors, one Australian state tops the scorecard

An analysis by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reveals that nearly two-thirds of major sports teams in one Australian state accept funding from betting companies, highlighting a concerning and "harmful" reliance on gambling sponsorships and advertising. This reliance raises questions about the influence of gambling on sports and the potential consequences for fans and athletes alike.

The analysis investigated any relationships or commercial partnerships between seven sports and their domestic clubs and gambling organizations, including casinos. The ABC examined publicly available information for 74 teams across the Australian National Rugby League (NRL), Australian Football League (AFL), Rugby Australia, Football Australia, Cricket Australia, Netball Australia, and the National Basketball League (NBL). This comprehensive review provides a detailed snapshot of the prevalence of gambling affiliations in Australian sports.

Experts say the research indicates that young children are already familiar with gambling brands. Of the 13 teams investigated in Queensland, eight were sponsored by betting companies. The state's six most commercially viable clubs – the Lions, Broncos, Dolphins, Cowboys, Titans, and Suns – all had at least one gambling sponsor. In contrast, only one team in Victoria – the Melbourne Storm – was sponsored by a betting company, while South Australia had none. This disparity underscores the varying levels of gambling influence across different states.

Experts believe this difference is due to a lack of national coordination across clubs and sports regarding gambling sponsorship and partnerships, as well as social responsibility. In New South Wales, some sports teams have joined the "Reclaim the Game" program, a government-initiated scheme aimed at reducing or eliminating sports betting advertising at home games and educating fans, players, and staff about the risks of gambling. Victoria and South Australia have also established similar programs – "Love the Game" and "Here for the Game." These initiatives demonstrate a growing awareness of the need to address gambling-related harm in sports.

Professor Samantha Thomas, a public health and gambling expert at Deakin University, stated that in the "absence of proper federal regulation," some states have been "trying very hard to do what they can" to separate gambling advertising from sports. She said, "We know that children from the age of eight and up can name multiple different betting brands… they can tell us the colors of different companies." "We're also starting to see kids drawing pictures of themselves and their favorite footy jerseys that might have gambling logos on them." This highlights the pervasive nature of gambling advertising and its impact on young audiences.

Professor Thomas also noted, "Everything that we've seen in research we've done with children over the last decade suggests that the marketing is working… it's creating brand loyalty for kids, but most importantly, it's normalizing gambling as a normal and core part of sport." The Queensland government said in a statement that it remained "willing to have constructive discussions with sporting clubs and organizations about initiatives they wish to pursue." This suggests a potential willingness to collaborate on addressing gambling-related issues in sports.

The logos of betting and casino companies are not only found on sportswear, merchandise, and stadium signage, but marketing also extends to social media, interview backdrops, podcasts, and even microphones. The Brisbane Lions have previously posted social media shorts sponsored by betting company TAB, while the Brisbane Broncos recently held a fan day in the city's new Star casino precinct. This demonstrates the multifaceted nature of gambling advertising and its integration into various aspects of sports culture.

The ABC's analysis found that the NRL had the most teams sponsored by betting companies across all sports – 10 out of 16 teams. Across the seven sports investigated more broadly, the NRL, AFL, Rugby Australia, Cricket Australia, and the NBL all had disclosed partnerships with sports betting companies. It is unclear whether Netball Australia and Football Australia partner with betting companies. Programs with these partnerships can receive what is known as a "product fee" from wagering on their sport. These fees represent a significant revenue stream for some sports organizations.

According to the NRL's most recent publicly available financial records, "the Group will receive royalties from sports wagering operators as sales associated with each bet occur or are settled." The AFL and NRL declined to comment on the matter, including when asked for a breakdown of these gambling product fee revenues. Independent Senator and former Wallabies captain David Pocock believes there needs to be "greater transparency around the kickbacks." He said, "We have to break the link between sport and gambling." This call for transparency underscores concerns about the financial incentives driving the relationship between sports and gambling.

Senator Pocock also stated, "You've got people like Peter V'landys [NRL CEO] out there [talking about banning gambling advertising… calling it a 'nanny state'], yet the NRL has received hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayer funding over the last decade. The AFL has received hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayer funding… so taxpayers are funding these sports, and in return, they're saying, 'Actually we have no social contract with you.' There is a very clear path for the parliament to take." This highlights the potential conflict of interest between public funding and the acceptance of gambling revenue by sports organizations.

The 2023 Parliamentary Inquiry into Online Gambling Harm, chaired by the late Labor MP Peta Murphy, made 31 recommendations on how to regulate the industry. One key recommendation was for the federal government to introduce a phased-in ban on gambling advertising, ultimately prohibiting all online gambling advertising and sponsorships. Kate Seselja, co-chair of the Canberra Gambling Reform Alliance, who has been in recovery for 12 years, made a submission to the inquiry. This inquiry and its recommendations represent a significant step towards addressing gambling-related harm in Australia.

She believes the relationship between sport and gambling is "harmful." She said, "I think sports need to have a really good think about going back to sponsorships that aren't based on harmful products." "There's no question that gambling harm in Australia represents a massive public health crisis. We're not seeing an adequate response from governments. It's absolutely ludicrous for Australians to be losing nearly $32 billion a year to an industry that in no way, shape, or form provides any benefit to the community." This underscores the significant social and economic costs associated with gambling in Australia.

Professor Thomas stated that moves to separate sports from industries associated with public health problems were not unprecedented. She said that years ago, sports strongly opposed bans on tobacco advertising and sponsorship. "We did see the same arguments back then, but they certainly survived and thrived after tobacco sponsorship and advertising ended," she said. "While we wait for governments to act, we would hope that sports who have a responsibility to be health-promoting environments should step up and start removing gambling advertising from their environments as much as they can." This draws a parallel between the regulation of tobacco and the potential regulation of gambling in sports.

Professor Thomas said that while there are already some clubs and sports that are "doing the right thing," she believes the government needs to "do more" and act on the recommendations of the parliamentary inquiry. "We need them to create a level playing field so that it's not just reliant on one or two teams," she said. Federal Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth and Sports Minister Anika Wells have both been contacted for comment. This emphasizes the need for government intervention to ensure a consistent and effective approach to addressing gambling-related harm in sports across the country.