Senator Nick Xenophon, who opposes gambling, asserts that a sponsorship deal between the Star City casino and South Sydney would greatly damage the NRL club’s image.
According to a report by Fairfax, the NRL’s gambling sponsorship situation is poised to worsen, as the Rabbitohs are expected to announce a multi-million dollar jersey sponsorship with the Sydney casino this week.
This announcement follows closely after Penrith’s rebranding of their home arena as Centrebet Stadium, amid an ongoing inquiry into suspicious betting activities during a Canterbury-North Queensland match from late last year.
“The Rabbitohs players serve as role models for young children, and associating with Star City, New South Wales’ largest gambling venue, sends an inappropriate message,” stated Senator Xenophon.
“It normalizes gambling behavior among children.”
He added, “Why would the Rabbitohs choose to connect their reputation with a business that brings so much suffering to so many people?”
The senator from South Australia has previously been an outspoken critic of NRL clubs forming partnerships with sports betting companies, with another such deal being announced by the Rabbitohs with Luxbet just on Tuesday.
He commented that a casino partnership would represent a further regression, particularly for South Sydney, whose owners aimed to phase out poker machines from their leagues club back in 2007.
“It’s a disappointing turn of events, especially considering South Sydney was once seen as a symbol of hope for clubs wanting to reduce their dependence on gambling revenue,” Senator Xenophon remarked.
“This is merely one small step away from that, so surely there are better ways to generate income than relying on the backs of problem gamblers.”
The senator advocates for a ban on sponsorships by gambling-related businesses.
“Just as tobacco companies are prohibited from sponsoring sports clubs, the same principle ought to apply to gambling, given the significant level of harm involved,” he articulated.
Neil Evans, a representative for Centrebet, accused the anti-gambling movement of being disconnected from the views of both the public and the business community just last week.
NRL chief David Gallop noted that rugby league has gained advantages from its ties to betting agencies, as it provides enhanced access to information regarding irregular stakes.
However, he also voiced concerns about specific types of betting and their aggressive marketing practices.
Buford Balony says: For fucks sake Xenophon shut the fuck up. We all aren’t puritans.
