MPs call for University of Sydney to return gambling funding

Federal MPs have joined called for the university to return the funding from the International Centre for Responsible Gambling.

Australia.- The University of Sydney’s decision to accept funding from the International Centre for Responsible Gambling (ICRG) for its Centre of Excellence in Gambling Research continues to generate criticism for potential conflicts of interest. Several federal MPs have joined calls for the university to return the funding.

While the university asserts that the partnership will yield valuable research based on de-identified data, independent MPs, including Zoe Daniel, Monique Ryan, Andrew Wilkie, Sophie Scamps and Rebekha Sharkie claim that the involvement of gambling sector funding may undermine the university’s reputation and research quality.

The MPs say the university should distance itself from the gambling industry as it would with other controversial sectors.

Daniel told The Guardian: “This is institutional capture and we should call it out for what it is. It is a threat to the reputation the University of Sydney has developed over the years for the independence and quality of its research.”

Independent Sophie Scamps, a former GP, added: “If Sydney University wants to retain its reputation as a serious scientific research institution it must not allow itself to be bought off by the gambling industry.”

The university maintains that ethical considerations have been taken into account, with research receiving approvals from the Human Research Ethics Committee.  Last week, the Australian Medical Association (AMA) and the Australian Greens also spoke out against the agreement.