Western Sydney Wanderers sign RG sponsorship agreement
In addition, under the agreement the club will educate its staff, players and fans about the risks associated with gambling.
Natalie Wright, director of the Office of Responsible Gambling, said the partnership aims to “address the normalisation of sports betting and raise awareness of gambling harm”.
“Attending a live sports event is a real ritual for many people in New South Wales, and we’re excited that different codes and teams are encouraging their fans to ‘Reclaim the Game’ and are turning down gambling advertising and sponsorship,” she said.
“We think you should be able to enjoy sport without betting. That’s why we’re working with sports codes and teams to ‘Reclaim the Game’ and get back to what sport is meant to be about.”
John Tsatsimas, chief executive of the Wanderers, added that the club has some of the most passionate and engaged fans of any team, and said: “We value those communities who have been such strong supporters, and one of the ways we aim to give back is by choosing partnerships that encourage community wellbeing.”
“We know that gambling is an issue that concerns many in our Western Sydney community, and we’re really excited to have this opportunity to raise awareness of gambling harm and reduce the amount of betting promotion that our fans are exposed to.”
The partnership follows on from the Office of Responsible Gambling’s latest deal with Cricket New South Wales, a two-year partnership spanning the four teams active under Cricket NSW’s leadership.
Under the deal, neither Cricket NSW or the teams are permitted to sign partnerships with a sports betting or gambling business.