Western Sydney Wanderers Stop Sports Betting Sponsorships for 1 Year

The latest club that decided to stop sports betting sponsorships in Australia is the Western Sydney Wanderers. The team inked an agreement with the New South Wales (NSW) Office of Responsible Gambling effectively stopping gambling sponsorships for one year.

Western Sydney Wanderers Ink Agreement with NSW Office of Responsible Gambling

Thanks to a new agreement between the Western Sydney Wanderers and the New South Wales (NSW) Office of Responsible Gambling, sports fans will soon be able to enjoy sport free of betting advertising. The latest deal complements a similar recent agreement inked between Cricket NSW and the NSW Office of Responsible Gambling inked in October which banned gambling advertising for a two-year period.

The current partnership which spans over one year effectively bans sports betting sponsorships or promotion agreements with the Wanderers. Furthermore, the club is also going to educate its players, staff, and fans about the risks related to gambling.

According to Natalie Wright, Director of the Office of Responsible Gambling the one-year GambleAware partnership aims to “address the normalization of sports betting and raise awareness of gambling harm“. Furthermore, she stressed that attending a live sports event is “a real ritual” for many NSW residents.

“It’s fantastic to have the Wanderers on board alongside Cricket NSW and we look forward to more announcements in the future.”

Natalie Wright, director of the Office of Responsible Gambling

Wright added that the Office of Responsible Gambling is excited that different teams are supporting their fans in an effort to “Reclaim the Game” and undertaking actions to turn down gambling advertising and sponsorship. Furthermore, Wright said that the Office of Responsible Gambling thinks that fans should be able to enjoy the sport without betting.

In a statement, John Tsatsimas, CEO of the Wanderers acknowledged that the recent agreement is in line with the club’s focus on community. Furthermore, he stressed that the Western Sydney Wanderers are fortunate to have some of the most passionate and engaged fans. Tsatsimas added that the communities have been strong supporters and one of the ways in which the team gives back is by choosing the partnership to “encourage community wellbeing”.