The view for a spectator at a modern-day AFL game is somewhat similar to scenes out of ‘A Beautiful Mind’. The film’s protagonist, John Nash, is an asocial mathematical genius. Unlike the stereotypical high-school student, he finds comfort through algebraic equations.
During the film, Nash writes down perplexing mathematical formulas and sticks them around his house, as he attempts to leave a unique and worthwhile legacy. His walls are flooded by pieces of paper, full of numbers and arithmetic.
It’s a messy sight and extremely hard to fathom.
The MCG on a Saturday afternoon might not look exactly like Nash’s house. But it’s pretty damn close.
Betting agencies are inundating the AFL on game days. Venues have become a gambler’s paradise, with dollar signs and tempting odds splattered all over the place.
Before the start of each game and at the end of every quarter, head-to-head odds appear on the big screen, both at the MCG and Etihad Stadium, which strongly encourage people to have a flutter. Rich corporate bookmakers also have their names plastered across advertising boards on boundary fences.
Even when you’re not at the game, you can’t avoid the odds.
If you’re listening to a broadcast of the match on radio, it’s not uncommon for the station to call up a bookmaker representative during quarter breaks and have them announce any changes to the markets. If you follow games on the AFL’s official website, live odds are also made clearly visible to readers.
Betting markets are heavily plugged days out from games too. Television shows that preview the upcoming round of AFL matches are sponsored by betting agencies and often accompany team line-ups with the head-to-head odds.
AFL gambling is in your face all the time now. And quite simply, it has gone too far.
The Herald Sun recently reported that a national survey release found three-quarters of fans were worried about the rapid rise of sports gambling. And so they should be.
Most clubs now have an affiliation with a betting agency.
Therefore every time a player, coach or official faces the media, a bookmaker’s logo is often exposed to the club’s supporters. For people trying to overcome gambling addictions, it must be excruciating, especially because placing a bet is so easy these days.
The promotion of AFL betting is not only an issue for the footy public. It is an issue for players.
Imagine if former Melbourne forward David Schwarz was still playing. A self-confessed gambling addict since the tender age of 14, Schwarz admitted in his autobiography All Bets Are Off that at one point during his playing days, all he could think about during games was what he’d be betting on afterwards.
Luckily he is now clean and has developed a reputation as a media commentator on SEN and Channel 7. But imagine if Schwarz lined up in the Dees’ forward line against Brisbane last weekend and had to deal with odds being repeatedly flashed up on the scoreboard. How would he have felt?
What about former Brisbane and Carlton forward – and gambling addict – Brendan Fevola? How would he have been feeling over the past few years of his career?
Yes, he’s publicly stated he has never bet on anything to do with the AFL. But surely all those odds on the scoreboard, plus the blatant advertising of betting across all media platforms, would not have helped his situation.
There are benefits for the AFL in associating with bookmakers. By keeping betting records and information, the AFL can check and investigate whether players, coaches and officials have had a punt on a footy match. Therefore some links with betting agencies need to stay in place.
However their promotion on match-day must be downgraded.
Aussie Rules is not horse racing. With perhaps the exception of a few outstanding racehorses such as Black Caviar, a large portion of spectators will often attend a racing meet to fatten their wallets, rather than enjoy the sport itself.
Thoroughbred racing needs betting odds and a variety of different betting options to make it an interesting day out for spectators.
Footy doesn’t.
The AFL is one of the great sporting spectacles. To go to a match and to see how hard these players work and how ferociously they attack the ball is a joy to watch. Spectators don’t need routine betting updates to be blasted at them to enjoy a day out at the footy.
An AFL venue is not the place to overwhelm and persuade people to have a bet. The promotion of gambling at matches must be curbed now – while spectators are still able to afford a ticket.
catsfansyd
Guest
It is a massive revenue stream. The footy industry is just beginning to realise this. Horse racing, for example, uses turnover to fund itself. AFL Betting is far more popular and has more potential than betting on the racing codes - the difference is the racing codes have more events to gamble on. Because the AFL has only begun to understand the money betting can bring into the game in the recent past, we have only seen this sort of saturation recently. This more to it i.e. the advent of the coroporate bookie...but even though the AFL says it wants to de-saturate gambling from the code, the influence gambling has will increase because AndrewD fully understands the money gambling can make for the sport. It is just the beginning. And, not only that. It will make the sport richer and stronger. Socially it will cause more havoc but gambling on the footy and all fanfare it brings won't be going anywhere.
C Judd, Carlton, 3 votes
Guest
Not interested in gambling at all. But there must be big $$$s floating around somewhere for it to pay its way. When the odds flash up on the scoreboard at the MCG who is getting a cut of the action - AFL, MCG, clubs? It's the crosses to the bookmakers at the quarter time/half time breaks that I think it is excessive - but I suppose if they are paying for the privilege the radio/TV stations see it as an easy revenue stream.
catsfansyd
Guest
Benji, I agree with everything you said except for the bit about horse racing. The fact that gambling is so easy away from the track means that the people who turn up to meetings probably enjoy a bet but travel to the track for cultural/social experience. I'm not referring to the 80K party-goers who turn up during cup week but at your run of the mill meeting the people who actually love the raceday experience attend. If you're a fair dinkum punter, you'll be at home getting better odds from a greater selection of bookmakers. But gambling saturation is becoming a bit much in footy and it is dangerous.
Ben Waterworth
Roar Guru
Spot on. It's perhaps not the product that is wrong, but the frequency in which it is being advertised. It's too much.
Patrick Angel
Roar Guru
It was the last frontier for the Herald Sun to finally descend into the depths that the Daily Telegraph and Courier Mail wallow in. Player gets drunk after a hard week of training and a big win "The Shame, Think of the Children, Look how much he gets paid". Doubt any kids would have known what was going on before it gets publicized what he's doing. Damned glad the Swans had a pretty squeaky clean set of players, apart from Barry Hall, and he was fine enough off it.
amazonfan
Roar Guru
Off topic but in regards to "like getting footballers to publicially apologise like criminals for minor indiscretions." I can not believe that Richmond would call a press conference just so Jack Riewolt could apologize for his body language. It's absurd. Yes, he shouldn't have done what he did, however the matter should have been settled in house, and he didn't need to apologise to the world for something that wasn't all that shocking. Also, for that matter, I think people should get over what Krakouer did in regards to the handcuff gesture.
The Farmer
Guest
Firstly, sorry about the typos in my first comment. Predictive text and fat fingers don't mix. I think you're letting your moral views get in the way. If the AFL and the clubs think gambling advertising at their games is bad, they can stop it. They'll be able to seel the signage space to non-gambling companies, just like they did in the past.
Redb
Roar Guru
I'm getting use to the odds up on the scoreboard they make for interesting reading at times when they fluctuate and often fail to predict the right winner. I have little compulsion to race out and have a bet though. I do all my bets before the round anyway. This anti gambing push is just more nanny state stuff like getting footballers to publicially apologise like criminals for minor indiscretions.
Patrick Angel
Roar Guru
Gambling, and fast food advertisements are the two hypocrisy in the sporting market. Gamble, gamble, gamble, but when your a player don't think about putting a cheeky bet on something you could do to influence the outcome of a game. Stay healthy kids, go out and enjoy playing footy, then have a bucket of deep fried chicken. They should be allowed to advertise, but perhaps with less frequency, flashing odds and fast food is fine, but it's getting ridiculous.
BigAl
Guest
Maybe The Farmer should come into town a bit more often ! - gambling is a big BIG issue these days. I find it puzzling that with all the political brouhaha pokies gambling is generating recently, the explosion in Sports betting is going on unhindered!
Ben Waterworth
Roar Guru
My point is that gambling is bombarding everyone at an AFL ground. They are so blatantly present. Odds and betting options shouldn't drive the game - the game should drive the game. And not everyone might be able to tune out and ignore all the odds.
The Farmer
Guest
The advertising at the ground and even the mentioning of odds at the breaks is simply filling space that was otherwise occupied by companies selling cars, fast food, beer or mobile phone plans. Is your point that gambling - the most regulated industry outbid all that Inmentioned - should be treated differently? Why? If you don't like it, tune out. I don't feel the urge to buy a bucket of chicken just because I see a KFC ad.