- Hawks president Jeff Kennett wants betting adverts banned
- Hawthorn own two gaming venues in Melbourne
Hawthorn
president Jeff Kennett has called for action to limit the marketing of
sports betting he believes is indoctrinating a generation of young
Australians. Kennett spoke to reporters on Monday to launch this year’s
beyondblue Cup, played between the Hawks and Sydney on Friday night,
which aims to raise awareness of mental health issues.
Like the majority of AFL clubs, Hawthorn have a contentious reliance on poker machine revenue but Kennett argues there is an important distinction between the two forms of gambling.
“They’re not there for children, they’re not allowed to play, they’re for adults making choices,” Kennett said of poker machines. “The worry I have with sports betting is that it is indoctrinating a whole generation of young people that their future, their happiness, is associated with gambling.
“What adults do is their business. Some adults have difficulty with alcohol, with horse racing, with all sorts of gambling, but they’ve got choices.
“When we have sports betting up there being thrust down the throats [of young people] on a daily basis – whether it be on television, on radio etcetera – you are indoctrinating them into a lifestyle aspiration, which I think is very dangerous.”
The federal government last year introduced legislation to limit when sports betting ads can be shown. But Kennett supports a blanket ban, or at least the same restrictions that apply to casinos when it comes to advertising.
Hawthorn own two gaming venues in Melbourne. Despite his defence of the role of poker machines in the community, Kennett conceded the Hawks are looking at ways to move away from gambling revenue.
“In an ideal world? Potentially,” he replied when asked if the Hawks would depart the gaming sector. “But we’ve got to find other sources of revenue, which is what we’re working on. That might happen over time, but it does take time.
“They are legal and we look after our two venues and our patrons as well as we can, but you can’t deny adults the right to make choices.”
Like the majority of AFL clubs, Hawthorn have a contentious reliance on poker machine revenue but Kennett argues there is an important distinction between the two forms of gambling.
“They’re not there for children, they’re not allowed to play, they’re for adults making choices,” Kennett said of poker machines. “The worry I have with sports betting is that it is indoctrinating a whole generation of young people that their future, their happiness, is associated with gambling.
“What adults do is their business. Some adults have difficulty with alcohol, with horse racing, with all sorts of gambling, but they’ve got choices.
“When we have sports betting up there being thrust down the throats [of young people] on a daily basis – whether it be on television, on radio etcetera – you are indoctrinating them into a lifestyle aspiration, which I think is very dangerous.”
The federal government last year introduced legislation to limit when sports betting ads can be shown. But Kennett supports a blanket ban, or at least the same restrictions that apply to casinos when it comes to advertising.
Hawthorn own two gaming venues in Melbourne. Despite his defence of the role of poker machines in the community, Kennett conceded the Hawks are looking at ways to move away from gambling revenue.
“In an ideal world? Potentially,” he replied when asked if the Hawks would depart the gaming sector. “But we’ve got to find other sources of revenue, which is what we’re working on. That might happen over time, but it does take time.
“They are legal and we look after our two venues and our patrons as well as we can, but you can’t deny adults the right to make choices.”
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