Sportsbet has pulled its annual NRL ‘Try July’ fundraising campaign after receiving pushback from various clubs.
The fundraising campaign ran by the NRL, Sportsbet and the Rugby League Players Association (RLPA) saw the online bookie donate $5,000 for every try celebration seen across the NRL, NRLW and State of Origin throughout the month of July.
All funds from the 2025 campaign went directly to the Australian Skin Cancer Foundation (ASCF) and the newly formed Player Hardship Fund.
The initiative has taken place for the past six years and has raised nearly $2 million for causes connected to the rugby league community, from the Men of League Foundation to Tonga disaster relief.
According to sources who spoke to Sydney Morning Herald, the teams have previously told players they would prefer not to participate in Try July, due to conflicts with their jersey sponsorships or corporate partnerships with online wagering companies other than Sportsbet.
Wagering companies sponsoring NRL teams is far from uncommon. For example, the Dolphins and Newcastle Knights have agreements with Betr, the Penrith Panthers has a partnership with Picklebet, the Sydney Roosters has Unibet, and the Wests Tigers has PlayUp on the back of its jerseys. B&T is not suggesting that these clubs told their players not to participate in Try July.
Meanwhile, the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs and the South Sydney Rabbitohs both have partnerships with Reclaim the Game, a NSW government initiative aimed at reducing betting sponsorships and advertising in sport. Again, we’re not suggesting that the Rabbitohs or the Bulldogs told players not to participate.
B&T has reached out to Sportsbet for comment.
The news follows the Albanese Government’s gambling ad crackdown. Come January 1, betting companies will be banned from advertising during live sporting events, on team uniforms and in stadiums. Gambling advertising on TV will also be restricted to no more than three clips each hour between 6am and 8.30pm, while there will be a total ban on wagering ads on the radio during 8am-9am and 3pm-4pm.
But, SMH reported that sources with knowledge of Sportsbet’s decision have stated the crackdown did not dictate the decision.
The NRL has declined to comment.
