Australia: AFLPA educates new players on gambling risks

Nearly 100 new athletes participated in a specialized training session, organized by the AFL Players Association.

Australia.- Nearly 100 new Australian Football League (AFL) and AFLW players attended a special training session this week organised by the AFL Players Association (AFLPA) in which they were taught how betting companies operate and how they can prepare themselves for being treated as a “product” by some gamblers.

The session was held at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium and, AFLPA chief executive Ben Smith told The Guardian, it was designed to ensure new players were aware of their contractual responsibilities, while also teaching them how the gambling industry works.

In addition, Smith said the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation assisted in putting together the talk by providing facts surrounding gambling and information on how gambling agencies operate.

Last year, the AFL faced criticism for allowing the promotion of same-game multis bets that carry an 85 per cent failure rate. There have been calls for a ban on advertisements for such bets.

Earlier in 2023, it was also revealed that the AFL receives a percentage of gambling turnover on its matches, beyond sponsorship deals with wagering companies. Former AFL boss Gillon McLachlan disclosed the information during a hearing in the parliamentary inquiry into online gambling harm.