The last 30 years have seen a range of industries utterly transformed by the internet, mobile phones and the increased interconnectivity that they have brought to our day-to-day lives. One industry that has changed massively as a result of these technological innovations is gambling.
In the mid-1990s, gambling was something that was done typically face to face, either in licensed betting shops or purpose-built casinos. Now, in 2024 you can be spinning the virtual reels or trying your hand at poker with just a couple of taps on your phone screen.
Unfortunately, whilst we have seen plenty of positives to come out of gambling’s move online, we have also seen several negatives. In Australia, the negatives associated with online gambling have led several NRL clubs to take a stand and ban gambling sponsorships.
We analysed the reasons why NRL clubs have taken this stance and speculate as to whether we could see a similar approach taken by professional sports teams here in New Zealand.
Why are NRL Clubs Banning Gambling Sponsorships?
The portrayal of gambling as a societal ill is nothing new. In Ancient Greece for example, gambling was hugely popular and even portrayed in the myths of Zeus, Hades and Poseidon, but it was also heavily criticised and castigated.
The criticism that has led NRL clubs to ban gambling sponsorships however is new and quite different to the criticism of gambling in general throughout the centuries. Supporters of the ban claim that the online industry, as it currently stands, is predatory.
Those people say that by allowing sports betting companies to advertise on shirts, clubs are prioritising short-term profits over the long-term welfare of their supporters. That’s the most obvious criticism, but others run far deeper and represent larger problems.
(The general feeling amongst sports supporters is that gambling sponsorships have a negative impact on supporters.)
Will Gambling Sponsorship Bans Spread to New Zealand?
Potentially. The Premier League, which is the biggest sports league on the planet, and one known for a ruthless, capitalist pursuit of profits has even followed suit. At the end of the 2025/26 season, all front-of-shirt gambling sponsorships will be banned in England’s top football league. However, gambling is there to stay in the English football pyramid. The four tiers below the Premier League will be sponsored by a gambling company until the end of the 2028/2029 season. The sponsor invests £1 million per season and £6 million in total into a Community Fund which benefits local communities nationwide. They also follow a strict set of guidelines which include not marketing themselves in family areas of club stadiums and educating players on the importance of safer gambling. If the NRL could attract sponsorship similar to this, it could benefit the league dramatically.
Of course, the New Zealand Warriors play their rugby in the NRL, they are sponsored by TAB, Australia’s largest gambling company, this lucrative deal has helped the club to compete with the best and attract players they might have otherwise been unable to. A future partnership with a trusted online casino in NZ could propel the club on further as regulation in that particular area begins to open up New Zealand, with a licensing framework under development and due to be in place by 2026. The key thing must be sponsorship via trusted providers rather than murky companies with untraceable directors.
If the ban does come into place, it will have financial ramifications for professional sports teams, so the big question is whether it is worth the risk. If, for example, the Super League in the UK decides not to be as fussy with their sponsorship deals, there is a chance they could become financially better off and the NRL could begin to lose star players overseas. As mentioned earlier, regulated online gambling companies do an awful lot to promote responsible gambling and protect their customers. It could be argued that regulated gambling sponsorship and the constant messaging around responsible gambling via the biggest brands could safeguard gamblers, so they don’t get led astray and gamble with unregulated offshore companies who aren’t likely to have their best interests at heart.
