AFL clubs unhappy at new League sponsorship rules

June 2, 2021

Bill Gillies

Finance / Marketing / Sport /

AFL clubs are objecting to new League sponsorship rules which they say favour ‘protected partners’ including Toyota, McDonald’s, Telstra and Coca-Cola and have the potential to impact sports betting across the country.

First reported in early May, clubs are protesting against the rules with all 18 teams having filed a letter to AFL House asking for the League to address their concerns and revise the newly introduced measures which has already seen one major sponsor threaten to quite the sport.

The club’s letter stated that the once clear operating environment had been impacted by the rules, citing confusion between the club and the code assets, which has impacted what clubs can commercialise. While the clubs try to pick their pieces from last year’s COVID financial crisis due to the season's cancellation, they believe the rules were put in place to protect the AFL four partners - Toyota, McDonald’s, Telstra and Coca-Cola - with other major partners - Virginia Island, CUB, Accor Hotels, Aquim and AAMI - also protected by the regulations.

In one incident, the AFL forced the West Coast Eagles to wear McDonald’s signage in their home matches, a directive which conflicted the club’s long partnership with Hungry Jack’s.

In addition, the letter stated that another sponsor among the big four, Telstra, takes over 15 categories of advertising that are blocked to clubs and not available for other sponsors.

These advertising categories include fast food, beer, soft drink, energy providers, IT, mobile phones, airlines, insurance, and automobiles.

Responding to the letter, an AFL spokesman said that they would continue working with the commercial managers of the clubs to provide new revenue opportunities, which will help the clubs bounce back. The spokesman stated that AFL was dedicated to assisting clubs in building their revenue base as they also try to make sure the game is affordable and accessible by the fans.

Will this affect sports betting in Australia?

With the AFL trying to resolve the stalemate with the clubs, opportunities still exist for those who engage with the sport through betting.

Sport is a part of every nation’s culture, and betting on the sport is one of the key elements of the Australian sporting experience – with punters looking to make profits from it.

With AFL the largest of Australia’s football codes and attendances during its 2020 season impacted by Coronavirus lockdowns, which are continuing this season, fans are subjected to watch the matches from home.

Betting on the games can be done online. Because of the popularity of betting, there are numerous sports betting sites in Australia, and with those who wager wondering which sports to back, here are the best options available in the country.

Most Popular Sports to Bet in Australia

1. Football
The various football codes dominate the Australian sporting landscape, with AFL the most popular league. Many people bet on it, especially on big teams such as Sydney Swans, West Coast Eagles, Geelong, Collingwood and Hawthorn.

The final scores of a football game are unpredictable, and teams and clubs usually support their fans with stats from the previous matches. This helps gamblers to make good decisions rather than betting blindly and losing their bets.

2. Cricket
Cricket is the national sport for Australia. A legacy of the country’s imperial past, it has been argued that cricket is fundamental to the Australian psych (Australia had a national cricket team before its Federation) cricket has been around for so long that it’s almost predictable as a game. It’s also easy to bet on.

However, as a gambler, you should keep a record of all your betting activities. It will help you refer to your past bets, understand their effectiveness, and predict future moves. There is also adequate information on the internet about the past games you can refer to before placing your bets.

3. Basketball
Basketball, just like football, has many players and fans from all over the world, and it’s very popular in the gambling scene. The National Basketball League (NBL) is responsible for the basketball teams and games in Australia. This top-level basketball competition is a perfect opportunity to gamble on, and you never know, it could be your lucky day today.

4. Horse Racing
Thoroughbred horse racing is an important spectator sport in Australia with a long history.

$14.3 billion was wagered on horse racing in 2009/10 while it attracted almost two million admissions in the same year making it the third most attended spectator sport in Australia, behind AFl and rugby league.

On an international scale Australia has more racecourses than any other nation with 360 registered racecourses across the country.

5. Tennis
The host of the first Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year, the Australian Open is one of the four biggest international tennis events.

The Australian tennis year centres on the month of January when the Australian Open is played (although it was delayed until February this year becaus ot the Coronavirus pandemic) and its lead up events.

With an extensive network of tennis facilities across the country, the discipline is popular among millions of people in Australia. Sport betting on tennis among Australians is very popular as well, with bets being placed on the winner of the tournament, winner of the set, or live betting.

6. Golf
Over the past few years, golf has become extremely popular among as a sport to bet on with Australian betting on both domestic and overseas events.

Australia also has a remarkable level of golf infrastructure.

Is it Legal to Bet Online in Australia?

The Interactive Gambling Act targets the gambling service providers and not the gamblers. An Australian citizen can place bets and gamble online whether they are using a licensed and unlicensed provider. Even though Australian gamblers can place bets with whatever provider they wish, major international bookmakers will not accept Australian clients until they (the providers) attain the license to operate in Australia.

Even though gambling is legal in Australia, the country has not embraced online gambling nor assessed the revenue that can be generated from gambling if they decided to tap the activity. Why so? Well, the Interactive Gambling Act was enacted in 2001. The law forbids the marketing of unregulated online betting sites, which is seen as a stumbling block to the growth of the gambling sector in the country.

Sports betting, lotteries, and racing are the only legal online gambling forms under the act. There are also some restrictions on providers regarding what games they can spread. These restrictions make it impossible for online gambling to show its real potential.

AFL Betting Tips

When betting for the AFL, you should do some research to predict the outcome. Many sites provide you with expert advice to increase your chances of winning a bet. The season is set to end in September, and you have a few months remaining to get rich out of betting.

There are over a hundred ways to bet on the AFL. All the leading bookmakers will offer odds for the upcoming AFL matches and provide other betting markets. You can bet for a Brownlow Medal Winner, Name the Finalists, AFL Grand Final Winner, Top 4 Finish, To Reach Final, Top 8 Finish, Coleman Medal, Rising Star Award, Top Victorian Club, and Top Non-Victorian Club.

The most common types of AFL betting markets include the head to head, which is also known as the win market, where you simply bet on the team you think will win the match.

The second common betting market is Line, which is a handicap. Here, if the bookmaker sets a -29.5 against your team, then they must win with more than 30 points for you to win the bet. If the line is +29.5 for your team, then you’ll win the cash if they get 29 points or less.

The third most popular betting market is Total Match Points. The bookmaker will set or mention a number of combined points from both teams, which will be scored in a match. You will select whether the total will go over or under and wait for your luck.

About the author

Bill Gillies

Staff Writer

Bill Gillies is a staff writer at Australasian Leisure Management.

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