Rugby League 26 has finally hit shelves, but sharp-eyed fans might have noticed a surprising omission: the game’s clubs have been stripped of their real-life gambling sponsors.
The highly anticipated title, developed by Big Ant Studios in partnership with Rugby League Commercial, officially launched yesterday across PlayStation, Xbox and PC.
Billed as the most authentic rugby league simulation to date, Rugby League 26 features Pro Team mode, fully licensed men’s and women’s Super League and NRL teams, and high-definition scans of players.
But in a major break from past titles, and from reality, betting logos are nowhere to be seen.
On the Gold Coast Titans jersey in particular, the Lottery Office logo is gone.
On the Bulldogs kit, hospitality giant Laundy Hotels is replaced with the more neutral “Laundy Family”.
In previous iterations of rugby league games, gambling sponsors like Crown Resorts appeared prominently, but not this time. Back in Rugby League 4, Crown Resorts featured prominently on at least two of the teams jersey’s including the South Sydney Rabbitohs who have since signed a deal with the NSW Government’s Reclaim the Game and no longer partner with any gambling companies.
Also missing from the jersey’s are alcohol sponsors. NSW Blues in particular are missing the iconic Toohey’s logo from their arms.
While Big Ant Studios didn’t respond to B&T’s request for comment, the decision is seemingly a conscious one. B&T understands that the main reason behind the omission is that the game’s key target demographic is persons under 18 and that any 18+ industries such as lotteries, gambling and alcohol have been removed from player jerseys.
The Lottery Office CEO, Jaclyn Wood told B&T: “We are currently working with the Titans, NRL and game developer Big Ant Studios to include charity partner Top Blokes, a mental health charity dedicated to providing mentoring programs and positively influencing boys and young men, on the front of the jersey. We are expecting to see in an update to the game very soon.
“Experienced Titan and 2025 Ken Stephen Medal nominee Kieran Foran has been heavily involved in this charity here on the Gold Coast, which you may have seen, and Top Blokes will also feature on the front of the Titans jersey worn in New Zealand”.
Gambling’s Grip On Sport Under Fire
The omission comes amid growing public and political scrutiny of gambling’s influence on sport, especially its impact on young fans.
“We believe that gaming is being used to introduce kids to gambling through sponsorships and also through gambling-like tools such as loot boxes. What is sad, is that it is working,” Martin Thomas, CEO of the Alliance for Gambling Reform told B&T.
“Research from The Australia Institute shows that 600,000 kids aged 12-17 gambled $18 million last year,” Thomas added. “Among men aged 18–24, one in five already have gambling problems. Unless we tackle this, we will have a whole new generation trapped in gambling problems with a catastrophic social cost.”
The removal of gambling branding in Rugby League 26 reflects a growing industry shift. Major games like FIFA/EA Sports FC and F1 have faced scrutiny over betting sponsor visibility with many introducing restrictions in certain regions. The shift comes as the Premier League plans to phase out front-of-jersey betting sponsors by 2026, a move expected to affect future video game licensing.
Upon the games release, Big Ant CEO Ross Symons said: “Every part of Rugby League 26 is driven by authenticity and depth… this game marks a new standard for Rugby League in interactive entertainment.”
Just not the kind of “authenticity” that includes gambling ads. And for Thomas, that’s a win. “We need to ban all gambling advertising, including sponsorship in games, and do much more to protect young people. We’re not alone, 76% of Australians want all gambling ads banned.”
