For the first time in 15 years, Cricket Australia (CA) won’t have a gambling sponsor adorning the boundary rope when the Darwin Test gets under way against Bangladesh today, after parting ways with betting company Bet365.
Toyota will now be handed the boundary rope signage, which was being laid out at Marrara Stadium on Wednesday ahead of the first ball against Bangladesh.
Bet365 has adorned the boundary signage for all Test matches since 2012. This test is the first time CA are without a major betting sponsor since the late 2000s.
It’s unclear whether the non-renewal of the Bet365 deal relates to the federal legislation around gambling advertising.
Under a raft of legislative changes introduced by the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s government in July but yet to be passed in federal parliament, betting advertising is to be banned on jerseys and in stadiums, with numerous sports and betting partners already making moves to reduce their footprints.
In April Albanese said he wants to ensure “children don’t see betting ads everywhere they look”.
“We don’t want kids growing up thinking that footy and gambling are inextricably linked,” he said at the National Press Club.
“We will build on the reforms that we’ve already delivered to combat gambling harm. Between 6am and 8.30pm, we will cap the number of TV ads for betting agencies at a maximum of three per hour.
“We will ban all gambling ads on cross promotion content that mixes commentary with odds. We’ll end advertising on jerseys and jumpers and in stadiums, and will ban online advertising unless the user is verified as being over 18 and has the ability to opt out.”
B&T has approached CA for comment.
