Jeff Kennett, the former premier of Victoria, Australia and chairman of the mental health group beyondblue, recently has been promoting a ban on advertising, promotion and sponsorship by corporate bookmakers. Kennett said the multi-party senate would support the ban.
Speaking to more than 100 trainers at Racing Victoria’s inaugural open day in Flemington, Kennett made “an admission I don’t often make,” he said, that it was wrong to privatize the racing and sports betting site, Totalisator Agency Board, in 1994 when he was premier. He stated he could not have imagined the negative implications of that action, which has allowed betting from privately owned bookmakers, who pay much less to the racing industry. Kennett added racing in Victoria should not be a seven-days-a-week industry, as it was simply supplying “product” for corporate bookmakers who were not returning enough money to racing.
“We are educating generations of young Australians that the only way people can have a successful life is by gambling,” Kennett said.
The situation only will improve if the federal government bans gambling advertising, Kennett said. Strict rules already are in place banning poker machine promotion and the industry has introduced a broadcasting code of conduct that has reduced some in-play advertising. But, Kennett noted, “Voluntary codes don’t work. It is still just everywhere, it is saturation promotion and advertising.”
Chris Downy, chief executive of the Australian Wagering Council, which represents corporate bookmakers including Sportsbet and Betfair, said members were committed to making sure advertising and promotion met all existing codes and rules.
“The ability of licensed, highly regulated Australian online bookmakers to advertise and promote their business is essential to their sustainability and competitiveness in the Australian marketplace,” Downy said. “Prohibition does not work in an online environment. Any attempt to ban licensed online bookmakers from advertising, promoting or sponsoring racing or sport also poses a huge danger to the integrity of sport and racing in Australia.”
