UK program led to big Olympics wins
The federal government of Australia is considering the establishment of a national lottery to help fund pro sports in the country, according to ABC.net. The idea has been around since 1979, and Federal Sports Minister Greg Hunt says the time has come to make it happen.
“It’s something that in my time and on my watch I would like to see us achieve,” he said.
Like a similar lottery in the UK, the plan is expected to raise tens of millions of dollars to help fund professional sports in the country. Though the federal government recently cracked down on gaming ads during sports broadcasts, Hunt says the lottery is a different animal.
“This is very different,” he said. “If it’s legislated and highly regulated and it’s a public good lottery, it’s a sensible way to provide additional permanent sports funding which I think is fair, reasonable and appropriate. In 30, 50 and 100 years it will still be here and providing a way to support participation and support performance for Australian sport.”
The idea could face pushback from states that already run their own lotteries. But Hunt says state-run systems won’t be left out if the government creates an online lottery and leaves retail sales to the current operators.
“The states would sign on, they could keep the additional revenue but they would apply it on the basis of agreed priorities with the Australian Sports Commission,” he said.
Yogonet.com reports that the strategy could bolster Australia’s standing at the Olympic. The Australian Olympic Committee and the Australian Sports Commission also have pushed for a national lottery.
A study called the National Plan for Elite Sport and Participation says a national lottery “to be developed with the states” would be based on “four key pillars of participation, performance, prevention through physical activity and integrity.” It could be in place by July 2018, says Hunt, who estimates it could generate around AUD$50 million (US$37.2 million) per year for elite sports programs.
The Australian Olympic Committee “welcomes the minister’s initiative,” said AOC Chief Executive Matt Carroll. “Every athlete, every team, every sport needs a plan to succeed so this initiative is critical for Australia’s sporting future. The plan will bring clarity on the roles and responsibilities of all the parties involved and establish the support, infrastructure and funding required to achieve the collective sporting outcomes for the country.”
According to the Guardian, the UK National Lottery system introduced in 1994 has led to remarkable improvement in the country’s showing at the Olympic level. UK athletes finished second in medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics after finishing 36th with just one gold medal 20 years earlier in Atlanta. Australia, on the other hand, was 10th in Rio. A total of 29 medals at Rio 2016 marked Australia’s worst finish in almost a quarter century. Aussie athletes racked up just eight golds, less than half the amount the country won at Athens 2004, where it won 17 titles.
The ASC is the main provider of funding for most Olympic sports but its government grant has declined over the last five years.
