Greens want gambling-sport link cut

The promotion of gambling through sport would be banned under a Greens policy, their leader says.

Australian Greens leader Richard Di Natale

The promotion of gambling through sport would be banned under a Greens policy, their leader says. (AAP)

The Greens want to end the "bombardment" of sports betting advertising surrounding sport.

Greens leader Richard Di Natale says watching a game of footy should not be like walking into a casino and wants all promotion of gambling around sport gone.

The policy would reflect the laws passed in 1992 for tobacco sponsorship, he says.

"What we're saying is this is an adult activity ... and there is a straight-forward model to follow," Senator Di Natale told reporters.

"We're talking basically about the end of any gambling activity through all broadcasting."

The policy would end teams receiving sponsorships from sports gambling companies and stop logos on clothing and stadium banners.

Recovering addict turned gambling reform advocate Tom Cummings said addiction rips families apart.

"The level of advertising we are seeing at the moment brings the threat of that kind of addiction into our lounge rooms and into our families," the Greens candidate for La Trobe said.

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan on Sunday admitted there is some unease within the AFL about whether the league and its clubs should benefit from betting revenue.

But he said there was evidence growth in sports betting was not a sign of an explosion of gambling overall.

"The data basically is that betting is not growing, it's just skewing from racing across to sport," Mr McLachlan said.

"The runaway train that people are talking about is not reflected in the numbers, (they're) referring to a change."

TV broadcasters no longer screen live odds during AFL matches but continue to screen gambling advertising.


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Published 8 April 2016 1:42pm
Source: AAP


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