Cricket NSW vows to continue supporting “Reclaim the Game”

Cricket NSW has become the latest organization to extend its participation in the "Reclaim the Game" campaign. This initiative is focused on protecting consumers from being too exposed to gambling advertisements and related content. The initiative has a particularly strong focus on protecting young fans and underaged individuals.

Cricket NSW is also quite unambiguous on where it stands when it comes to gambling advertisement in sports, and that is that such promotional materials have no place in the game. Commenting on the decision to extend its partnership with "Reclaim the Game," Cricket NSW CEO Lee Germon argued that the organization was determined to help guide public dialogue on what it saw as a major issue.

By extending the partnership for a period of additional two years, Germon and Cricket NSW felt confident that sports fans will experience a stress-free environment by attending and watching games in the absence of gambling advertisements.

He also stressed the importance of helping protect people from sports gambling harm, which is harming families, individuals, and society at large. Germon continued:

Since joining forces with the Office of Responsible Gambling, Cricket NSW has made a meaningful contribution towards changing the community’s attitudes towards betting on sport.

Cricket NSW is unambiguous about its stance on the adverse effect that gambling has on young people and families, the organization continued. The partnership extension was welcomed similarly by NSW Office of Responsible Gambling Director Alison Parkinson who said that she and her colleagues welcomed the opportunity to collaborate with an organization that is as strongly committed to the campaign as is Cricket NSW.

"Cricket NSW has shown they are true to the values of the program, and we are so pleased to continue working with them to reclaim the game," Alisson added. This partnership extension was revealed ahead of a planned GambleAware Week which will seek to promote awareness of the risk of gambling and gambling-related harm. This year’s edition of the event is taking place from October 17 through October 23, 2022.

Raising awareness for problem gambling has become a focal point of many governmental pushes around the world. While problem gambling has mostly diminished, some practices remain questionable at best. One such is the role that sports gambling advertisement plays on affecting young individuals and making them more prone to gambling later in life or experiencing the gambling-related issue.

While the evidence seems to suggest that a more balanced approach towards the reduction of sports gambling advertisements should be adopted, such as the watershed ban in the Premier League passed a few years back, there are those, such as Cricket NSW who are more determined to act now. Responsible gambling has been important to other jurisdictions as well, including Ontario, the United Kingdom, the United States, and others.

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