Victorian Regulator Weighs Unprecedented Intervention In Afl’s Fight With Bookmakers Over Gambling Revenue

The Victorian gambling regulator is considering whether to make an unprecedented involution successful a conflict betwixt nan AFL and bookmakers, which could group a limit connected nan league’s gross from wagering.

Earlier this year, nan AFL proposed a important summation to nan magnitude of money it receives from each bet placed connected its game. The convention besides projected a minimum $20,000 yearly interest for each bookmakers, including mini operators who attraction connected racing.

Leaked documents seen by Guardian Australia revealed nan rate drawback was justified arsenic a measurement to reside what AFL executives termed an “unprecedented” summation successful “integrity risks” posed by nan wagering industry, which has exploded successful fame successful caller years.

The documents outlined concerns nan AFL’s integrity strategy was earnestly deficient and struggled to place whether players, coaches and unit were utilizing wrong accusation to manipulate betting markets, successful breach of their contracts.

Bookmakers opposed to nan summation were told they needed judge it earlier nan play began, aliases beryllium banned from taking bets connected nan sport. By law, each bookmakers must person an statement pinch a sport’s governing body.

• Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

When nan summation was first proposed, respective gambling companies described it arsenic “unsustainable” and said it could cripple smaller operators consenting to salary their “fair share” to support integrity measures.

Some bookmakers person told Guardian Australia they accrued financial inducements – such arsenic prize bets aliases bet-matching – to promote group to walk much money, contempt knowing this could summation harm. In June 2023, a parliamentary enquiry into online gambling called for financial inducementsto beryllium banned.

The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) has confirmed it is assessing an exertion to intervene successful nan conflict and make a determination astir nan AFL’s behaviour and nan reasonableness of its fees. The exertion was made by an unnamed bookmaker.

Before making a determination to intervene, nan regulator must measure whether some parties person engaged successful genuine negotiations. It must besides measure whether a solution is imaginable without nan regulator’s involvement. It has been assessing nan exertion for much than 2 months.

The regulator has nan powerfulness to inquire for accusation from nan AFL, retrieve costs for immoderate investigation, and make compulsory determinations to settee nan dispute.

“Previous applications received by nan VGCCC did not meet nan criteria for a determination arsenic outlined successful legislation,” a spokesperson for nan regulator said.

Two sources astatine established bookmakers who were not authorised to remark publically said a determination could group a limit connected really overmuch money nan AFL could make from gambling. They said a determination could besides effect early negotiations.

Lachlan Gepp, an master gambling and sports authorities lawyer astatine Addisons, which has represented bookmakers, said merchandise fees had go “uncommercial and unreasonable” successful caller years. The fees were introduced successful nan early 2000s.

“It should beryllium remembered that nan laws requiring betting integrity agreements were introduced successful Victorian and New South Wales betting authorities to coincide pinch nan blow-up of firm online bookmaking and to supply costs to nan AFL to administer an integrity interest that different did not exist,” Gepp said.

“Make nary mistake: successful 2025, merchandise fees person been shape-shifted into a taxation strategy designed to play catchup to nan NRL and positioned by AFL rotation doctors to lick an invisible maturation successful betting integrity issues.”

The AFL has based on nan integrity challenges are existent and serious. Its correspondence outlining nan summation to bookmakers did not mention commercialized objectives.

“If nan VGCCC determines that nan merchandise interest complaint sought by nan AFL is unreasonable aliases an overreach successful position of what nan rule is designed to do, past that result has been a agelong clip coming for nan online wagering industry,” Gepp said.

The AFL declined to comment.

One comparatively mini bookmaker, who declined to beryllium named because of nan commercialized sensitivity of nan issue, and truthful that they could speak freely, said they had accrued inducements successful consequence to nan AFL’s proposal.

“We will request to present further incentives, not because we want to, but because nan marketplace demands it. Without them, we whitethorn not beryllium capable to support nan business running,” nan bookmaker said.