Excerpts from article by David Crowe and Paul Sakkal:
*Australian rugby league chief Peter V’landys and AFL boss Andrew Dillon are using their sway with political leaders to block a blanket digital advertising ban before it is decided by federal cabinet, as the $23 billion wagering industry prepares for a surge around the football finals.*
*[…] V’landys said he was pleased to see Albanese looking at the facts about gambling rather than listening to “loud voices who are expounding an ideology” about the issue.*
*“Unfortunately, these people want to run everybody’s lives and force their will upon the majority of people who will never have a gambling problem and who enjoy a flutter – especially considering that less than 1 per cent of Australians will ever have an issue with problem gambling,” said V’landys, who is the chief executive of NSW Racing as well as the chair of the Australian Rugby League Commission, which administers the NRL.*
*The sports boss, who has a relationship with Albanese and joined him at a state dinner at the White House last year, said the prime minister was doing his best to take a balanced approach.*
*“Rather than suppressing the majority, let’s have a greater focus on how we can help those with an addiction problem.*
*“The nanny state ideology however has significant ramifications on the funding of junior sport.”*
*[…] The AFL lifted revenue by 12.6 per cent to $1.1 billion last year, according to its annual report. Nine News reported last month that the AFL would lose $120 million a year if the government banned all gambling advertising.*
*[…] The digital ad ban has emerged as a flashpoint in a broader plan to curb problem gambling and break the link between sport and betting by scaling back promotions.*
*The federal plan aims to cap the number of ads on TV and impose a total ban on ads during and around sport broadcasts, as first reported by this masthead in August. It also proposes a total ban on social media and digital platforms, apart from some exemptions for search engines.*
*Nine, the owner of this masthead, is opposed to a total ban on gambling ads and has a TV rights deal with the NRL.*
*Public Health Association of Australia chief Terry Slevin said the advertising ban had to include all digital platforms and apps, a proposal backed by some Labor backbenchers, such as Dr Mike Freelander, who have pressured Albanese to go harder.*
*“Whatever we put in place, this multi-billion dollar transnational business will find every possible opportunity to find a way around it,” Slevin said. “So we need to put proper, comprehensive controls in place now.*
*“That means governments being brave enough to stand up to their influence and power and the depth of their pocket and look after the constituents who will be voting for them – or not, as the case may be – at the next election.”*
*Sports leaders and wagering groups have argued for a model that would allow ads online if users proved they were adults and opted into viewing the promotions on platforms such as the AFL or NRL apps.*
*Government officials are consulting on a total digital ban because they doubt age limits could be enforced across the internet, even though Labor wants to keep children off social media.*
UncleScrot on
Of course they would whinge about it, the amount of money they make off gambling ads.
2 Comments
Excerpts from article by David Crowe and Paul Sakkal:
*Australian rugby league chief Peter V’landys and AFL boss Andrew Dillon are using their sway with political leaders to block a blanket digital advertising ban before it is decided by federal cabinet, as the $23 billion wagering industry prepares for a surge around the football finals.*
*[…] V’landys said he was pleased to see Albanese looking at the facts about gambling rather than listening to “loud voices who are expounding an ideology” about the issue.*
*“Unfortunately, these people want to run everybody’s lives and force their will upon the majority of people who will never have a gambling problem and who enjoy a flutter – especially considering that less than 1 per cent of Australians will ever have an issue with problem gambling,” said V’landys, who is the chief executive of NSW Racing as well as the chair of the Australian Rugby League Commission, which administers the NRL.*
*The sports boss, who has a relationship with Albanese and joined him at a state dinner at the White House last year, said the prime minister was doing his best to take a balanced approach.*
*“Rather than suppressing the majority, let’s have a greater focus on how we can help those with an addiction problem.*
*“The nanny state ideology however has significant ramifications on the funding of junior sport.”*
*[…] The AFL lifted revenue by 12.6 per cent to $1.1 billion last year, according to its annual report. Nine News reported last month that the AFL would lose $120 million a year if the government banned all gambling advertising.*
*[…] The digital ad ban has emerged as a flashpoint in a broader plan to curb problem gambling and break the link between sport and betting by scaling back promotions.*
*The federal plan aims to cap the number of ads on TV and impose a total ban on ads during and around sport broadcasts, as first reported by this masthead in August. It also proposes a total ban on social media and digital platforms, apart from some exemptions for search engines.*
*Nine, the owner of this masthead, is opposed to a total ban on gambling ads and has a TV rights deal with the NRL.*
*Public Health Association of Australia chief Terry Slevin said the advertising ban had to include all digital platforms and apps, a proposal backed by some Labor backbenchers, such as Dr Mike Freelander, who have pressured Albanese to go harder.*
*“Whatever we put in place, this multi-billion dollar transnational business will find every possible opportunity to find a way around it,” Slevin said. “So we need to put proper, comprehensive controls in place now.*
*“That means governments being brave enough to stand up to their influence and power and the depth of their pocket and look after the constituents who will be voting for them – or not, as the case may be – at the next election.”*
*Sports leaders and wagering groups have argued for a model that would allow ads online if users proved they were adults and opted into viewing the promotions on platforms such as the AFL or NRL apps.*
*Government officials are consulting on a total digital ban because they doubt age limits could be enforced across the internet, even though Labor wants to keep children off social media.*
Of course they would whinge about it, the amount of money they make off gambling ads.
Fuck em.