If There’s A Complete Ban On Gambling Advertisements
Although gambling advertisements are highly effective in persuading people to make specific bets, there’s been a move to ban these within the next year Down Under. Any curbs on betting promotions that currently appear online, outdoors, or on television would deliver a huge financial blow on broadcasters as well as the Australian Football League (AFL) and National Rugby League (NRL).
Some sports betting companies have this year offered to remove their logos from various football club match-day jerseys, following the growing concerns about the influence of gambling on the nation. High-profile players, concerned that children will believe that gambling is part and parcel of sport, have refused to have their images used by sports betting companies.
AFL
Teams no longer partner with sports bookmakers for jersey sponsorships, yet for the 2023 season, six teams — Cowboys, Broncos, Dolphins, Knights, Panthers, and Raiders partnered with sports betting companies. Since last year’s Grand Final, the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, and Queensland have supported tougher restrictions or bans on gambling advertisements. The AFL already has strict restrictions surrounding the times that gambling advertising is permitted, so very little will change in 2024. The AFL has, over the past year, reduced the amount of wagering branding and signage at grounds.
NRL
The majority of clubs continue to sport logos of major gambling firms, with around half of the teams in partnership with a sports betting firm. The NRL is going from strength to strength financially. A Las Vegas double-header kicks off the season in March. Manly Warringah Sea Eagles v South Sydney Rabbitohs and Sydney Roosters v Brisbane Broncos are the NRL Telstra Premiership matches to be played at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on March 2. It will make a change for Americans who love to gamble on their own National Football League to consider a wager on the NRL.
Broadcasters
Although Seven West Media has partnered with Cricket Australia until season 2030-31, they too will find that any new legislation hits them hard financially. Yet there is a burgeoning American sports wagering market, with new sports being introduced to the US market including cricket and NRL. Fans can research and compare the best betting sites in Australia, which are listed here.
BetStop From The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)
The ACMA commissioned Nielsen to survey gambling advertisements shown online, on radio, and on television. Results showed over a million gambling ads aired on free-to-air television and radio between May 2022 and April 2023.
What is BetStop?
BetStop, a new national self-exclusion register that helps problem gamblers block themselves from betting on sports, was launched in August by the Australian Government. The software restricts gamers’ access to gambling platforms to control their gambling habits, ensuring they play within their means.
How it works
BetStop allows anyone who wishes to be excluded from gambling communications to register and sign up. It’s a pledge to stay away from gambling for a predetermined period, which can range from months to years. It means that gambling platforms participating in the BetStop program cannot be accessed by anyone who has signed up. Sports bookmakers must manually check customers’ personal details against records on BetStop. If an individual has opted to be self-excluded then the sports bookmaker is responsible for blocking this person from signing up and betting.
Bookmakers Not On BetStop Australia
Across Australia, there’s a shift of sports betting sites not wishing to be part of BetStop, which also promotes responsible gambling. The restrictions on BetStop have resulted in gamblers seeking Aussie sports betting sites that aren’t part of BetStop for greater autonomy and a more flexible gaming experience. The emergence of sites not on BetStop is partly due to ever-evolving online gaming innovation and player privacy. New platforms are constantly developed to meet the needs and preferences of gamblers, with a wider variety of games and features than the betting sites on BetStop.
Major Annual Sporting Events
Australians are sports fanatics, and even on their home soil (and water) offer a plethora of thrilling events that the betting industry taps into.
AFL Grand Final
Arguably the biggest day on Australia’s sporting calendar, this will be contested in front of 100,000 fans at the MCG in Melbourne on 28 September.
Australian Open
The year’s first grand slam is a fortnight bonanza (14-28 January) that will light up Melbourne Park’s 39 courts.
Formula 1 Australian GP
Melbourne kicks off the Formula 1 season, with high-speed racing drivers set to negotiate the Albert Park circuit with their brand-new engines from 21-24 March.
Hamilton Cup Race Week
Hamilton Island, perched on the Great Barrier Reef, is Australia’s premier offshore sailing regatta and will run from 17-24 August.
Melbourne Cup
One of the world’s most famous horse races has become such a big part of Australian culture and will take place at Flemington racecourse on 5 November.
NRL Grand Final
The zenith of the NRL Telstra Premiership will be fiercely contested at the 83,500-capacity Accor Stadium, located in the Sydney Olympic Park, on 6 October.
Santos Tour Down Under
The Southern Hemisphere’s largest cycling race will start and finish in Adelaide. Riders must navigate their way through some of South Australia’s most iconic regions from 12-21 January.
Uluru Camel Cup
Show-stopping weekend in the heart of Australia’s outback of Yulara, near Alice Springs. It will be all about camel racing and community spirit on 27-28 May.
Conclusion
Sport is always going to be followed by Australians, and the trending demand of players wishing to gamble on non-BetStop sites will continue next year. These sports betting platforms will play a pivotal role in the future of online gambling. As they require very little personal data and employ advanced encryption technologies, which reduces the security risk, they will continue to prove popular and thrive.
Concerns across European countries have existed for years. Italy (2019) and Spain (2021) have already imposed betting adverts bans, with new bans implemented this year in Belgium (online adverts) and the Netherlands (public places and most media channels).
If there is a global sweep then the writing could be on the wall for prohibiting gambling advertisements Down Under soon.
