Sports betting promotion in Australia to be put on check

Several clubs such as Essendon, Western Bulldogs and St Kilda has signed a deal that would eradicate betting promotion at the clubs and during match days in attempt to curb the influence of sports wagering among football fanatics. These clubs together with North Melbourne, Collingwood, Hawthorn as well as Melbourne Victory has signed the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation charter that is aimed at protecting bettors from betting associated hazards.

Stipulated in the charter, no club would allow any sort of advertisement on betting across its stadium. The Responsive Gambling Awareness week starts this Monday with Serge Sardo the chief executive at VRGF claiming that over 140 clubs based in Victoria have joined the campaign.

Nonetheless, having signed the deal, it was evident that some of its members still have poker machines in their locality. For instance, last year more than $22 million was lost by bettors in Hawthorn alone. St Kilda, Bulldogs and Essendon have had poker machines too.

However, Sardo claimed that this movement was not for the eradication of betting in the state but would aim at making sure that responsible and honest betting is conducted across all betting platforms. He added that it has been evident the crossing of the line by advertisement on betting which has reached a point of destroying the livelihoods of addicted gamblers. Nonetheless, he assured that the movement will advocated for responsive gambling in the state.

Minister for Gaming and Liquor Regulation Jane Garrett claimed that there has been an increase in the amount of advertising income by $44.5 million last year to record at $149 million. She claimed that the charter would be fundamental in educating bettors, fans as well as members of the hazards that are associated with betting.

The signing of the charter is accompanied by the opposition of the Labor government who claim that it has cut down the budget by $2 million which they claimed that was a way of underfunding the foundation. Opposition gambling spokesman Russell North claimed that this move has been attributing to the cutting of funds meant to accord assistance to addicted bettors and this is a negative aspect that inflicts more risks to bettors.

This article is published in: Betting deals
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