Several AFL players, football clubs and a government MP are uncomfortable with the extent of gambling advertising within the code and are pushing for changes ahead of Saturday’s AFL grand final in Perth.
Key points:
- Industry figures say gambling companies have loaded advertising into pre-game coverage
- Collingwood players Brodie Grundy and Darcy Moore have voiced some of their concerns about the level of advertising
- Liberal MP Andrew Wallace wants gambling advertising to be slowly banned altogether as smoking is
The federal government has banned advertising during live matches and a five-minute window before the game, but industry figures say companies have just loaded advertising into pre-game coverage.
Liberal MP Andrew Wallace, chair of federal Parliament’s Corporations and Financial Services Committee, says more action is needed and is calling for gambling advertising to be slowly banned altogether as smoking is.
“Kids seem to be just absolutely hammered with what the odds are on this or that and there seems to be an almost non-delineation between sport and gambling,” Mr Wallace said.
“I think we should be looking at a phased-in restriction on gambling companies from advertising in the first instance during sports.
“But ultimately, I just don’t see there’s a place for advertising on our television or radio full stop,” he said.
That may appear unlikely and would certainly hurt AFL and commercial media revenue streams that have already been hit hard by the pandemic, but the first AFL club to turn its back on poker machines says it could happen.
Supplied
)North Melbourne’s chief commercial officer, Sam Bingley, believed attitudes would continue to change about gambling and its place in football games.
