As state governors of the highest participation women’s sport in the country, Netball Victoria is proud to say no to gambling advertising sponsorship. The organisation is proudly aligned with Love the Game, an initiative of the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation, which aims to reduce the exposure of young people to sports gambling promotions and disrupt the normalisation of betting on sport.
Dandenong and District Netball Association signed up to the Love the Game program four years ago in support of the Foundation’s stance. “Thankfully netball seems to be fairly free from exposure, but [we] need to keep it that way,” said the club’s administration manager Christine Ware.
Dandenong and District Netball Association is host to 60 teams and is entirely funded by member fees and income from managing Gloria Pyke Netball and Sport Complex. “We pride ourselves on providing low-cost recreational opportunities for all,” Ware said.
As well as providing a range of competitions for seniors and juniors and men and women, the club also offers pathways to develop umpires, coaches, and committee volunteers.
The numbers on sports betting advertising and gambling in Victoria are alarming. An average 948 gambling ads are broadcast on Victorian free-to-air TV daily in 2021, an increase of 253 per cent from 2016.The effects are clear to see, the first generation to grow up with sports betting ads, young men between 18–24 years bet on sport more than any other age group in Victoria, making up a third of all sports bettors.
Ware said, “The Dandenong District community is very disadvantaged and gambling is a problem.” In 2020-21, $73 million was lost to pokies alone in the 14 gambling venues in Greater Dandenong — the highest rate of pokies losses in Victoria. 927 poker machines remain in the council area, which take $199,000 from the community every day.
These figures do not account for additional losses to sports betting that is accessible 24/7 through smartphones and gambling applications. Smartphones put sports gambling at everyone’s fingertips, including young people, making it easier than ever for them to start betting.
Ware agrees all sports should be working to remove gambling influences and make sport a safe space. “Children should not be exposed to the ‘glamourising’ of gambling as fun and entertainment,” Ware said.
Dandenong and District Netball Association does not accept incentives from institutions that support gambling. “The Sandown Greyhound Racing Club offers use of their facilities and sponsorship, which may be attractive to others,” Ware said.
More than 650 local and elite sporting clubs are already partnered with Love the Game. The program is free to join and benefits include resources to promote your club as a healthy and safe place; invitations to events, activities, and education sessions; opportunities to participate in Love the Game theme rounds; giveaways and merchandise; and access to a gambling action plan to implement in your club.
Take a stand against sports betting sponsorship to help juniors love the game, not the odds. Sign your netball club up to Love the Game.
