In 2023, English Premier League star Ivan Toney was found guilty of several betting breaches and subsequently banned for eight months.
Widely commented on at the time was that Brentford, his club, were sponsored by Hollywood Bets.
So while their star striker was banned, the rest of the team were week after week promoting betting.
Even more ironic was seeing Toney, after his suspension, running out to play with a betting logo front and center on his chest.
Sports and betting have always shared a close bond. But a relationship that started off as fun and relaxed has long since become problematic.
Sometimes when this happens in a relationship, you need something drastic to happen, something to break the cycle and help you realise what is wrong. Perhaps Brandon Smith can be that circuit-breaker for the NRL.
Obviously before I go further with this it is important to state that everyone is innocent until proven guilty. I think Brandon Smith seems to be a fantastic bloke, and if he is going through a difficult time I want nothing but for him to get the help he needs.
To analyse the relationship between the NRL and betting, you need to look at the way betting has changed over the years.
The biggest change has come through technology. With all sorts of apps, betting has never been more easy, or more tempting.
These apps know how to lure you in, they know how to keep you hooked and how to bring you back if you feel like pausing.
Their profits, come from your losses. The more you lose, the more they win, and they win a serious amount of money.
I have seen people struggle with different addictions over my life, but those have been addictions you can see.
A gambling addiction can take place inside your pocket with nobody knowing and can take everything from you.
The other major change is how bets are comprised. The days of putting $20 on a team are from yesteryear.
Now it’s a $20 multi with that team winning by less than eight, with one player scoring the first try, another being put on report and choosing someone else to kick a two-point field goal.
The second alternative, due to its lower probability offers a ridiculously high payback. This payback is another method to entice people to gamble more as just one win could be life changing (as long as you don’t gamble away all the winnings).
Despite the very real harm that gambling can cause in society, the NRL has done very little to limit its influence. A quick Google search shows that this year 13 NRL clubs have gambling related sponsors and the NRL themselves are sponsored by Sportsbet.
And why don’t we hear so much about this? Well it doesn’t help that the media landscape is in the palm of the gambling industry.
Every show and podcast features a sponsored segment that goes into the detail about odds, payouts on specific events (try-scorers etc.) and possible multis you can build. Yes, these segments come with a ‘warning’, but that warning is slightly undercut when a Phil Gould or Andrew Johns talks about how good the odds are five seconds later.
Perhaps we will see Brandon Smith address this specific controversy himself, on the podcast he co-hosts, that just so happens to be sponsored by Ladbrokes.
So where do we go from here? For anyone who enjoys a punt, I’m not going to take that away from you.
Like smoking and drinking, gambling is a part of our society. I know for a lot of people it is fun to have the occasional bet, or to be part of a tipping competition.
Brandon Smith takes on the line against the Sharks (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
But I am old enough the remember when Cricket Australia’s main summer event was the Benson and Hedges Cup.
It took some time, but advertising of cigarettes is now completely banned and the thought of it coming back is ludicrous.
We need do the same with betting. And if the government isn’t willing to take that step then the NRL should be bold and do it themselves. Sadly with ARL Commission chair Peter V’landys’ background in racing that seems unlikely.
So what could be done in the meantime. I would like all podcasts and shows that air sponsored betting segments to release those as separate segments/episodes.
This would allow people to avoid it, could lead to lower engagement in those particular segments and make them less lucrative to sponsor.
I would also like everyone in the media to ask themselves if discussing the odds is even necessary.
The Storm and Panthers are favourites? Wow who would have thought. It adds nothing to the discussion.
If we can make these changes at the top or middle, it won’t stop people from betting. And it also won’t solve every problem gamblers issues. But everyone should be able to watch the footy (and all other sport) without being bombarded with betting ads.
