Rival teams unite against sports betting ads in new campaign for the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation via SDWM Melbourne
Major sporting clubs and local sporting leaders have united in response to community concern about the effect of prolific sports betting advertising on young people in the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation’s new Love the Game campaign via SDWM.
The ‘Join the club’ campaign includes elite and community level players and administrators, parents, kids, umpires and coaches from a range of codes that have taken a stand to reduce the exposure of young people to sports betting promotions.
Among others, the campaign features Collingwood Football Club’s Brodie Grundy and Kelsey Browne (netball); Melbourne Football Club’s Neville Jetta; North Melbourne Football Club’s Kaitlyn Ashmore; Richmond Football Club’s Shane Edwards; and Western Bulldogs Football Club’s Easton Wood.
Says Shane Lucas, CEO, Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation: “The first generation of kids to grow up with gambling advertising is the largest group of sports bettors in Victoria,’ Foundation CEO Shane Lucas said today.
“Almost a third are young men aged 18–24 years, while participation in sports betting by young women is rising.
“It’s concerning, but unsurprising that young people think it’s normal to gamble on sport given their constant exposure to sports betting ads.
“Indeed, in 2019 the gambling industry advertising spend in Victoria was estimated at $70 million, excluding sponsorships, in-program content and other forms of advertising, such as direct marketing, frequently used to promote sports gambling operators.”
Lucas said the Love the Game program shows young people that sport and betting don’t have to go together, and informs them about the risks associated with gambling so they can make critical choices as adults.
Says Lucas: “More than 500 elite and local clubs across Victoria are Love the Game partners, united in their commitment to saying no to sports betting sponsorship.
“We’re proud to work with them to protect young people from gambling ads and to encourage all Victorians to love the game, not the odds.”
The ‘Join the Club’ campaign will run throughout August. Other clubs represented in the campaign include AFL/AFLW clubs Carlton, Essendon, Geelong, Hawthorn and St Kilda; Big Bash League’s Melbourne Renegades and Melbourne Stars; Melbourne Victory Football Club; Super Rugby’s Melbourne Rebels; and basketball’s Melbourne Boomers.
For more information about the Love the Game program, visit the website.
Client: Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation
Creative Agency: SDWM
Production Company: Accordion Melbourne
Director: Bill Irving
Photographers: Thom Rigney, Chris Von & Jay Hynes
Wardrobe Stylist: Anthony Jarvis
5 Comments
shit
We pitched for a meeting company about 4 years ago and lost. At the time we were beyond disappointed. Nowadays, we wouldn’t pitch for one. When you hear 10 year olds talking about odds you know it’s time to do something and it’s time governments and the AFL took the lead. The late Neil Lawrence was right to call out the evils of pokies then, it’s right to call out the evils of gaming and betting advertising to kids now.
where’s the crowdsource link for us to donate to buy some media space for this?
It’s great to see people standing together to do something about the over saturation of sports gambling adds which are plastered all over the media and aimed at our most vulnerable in our communities…….. these people are criminals
Full support. Well done.
Hope the ad gets the same if not more airtime than those gambling ads.