On 26 July 2024, Mr Roland Browne appeared before the Tasmanian Government Administration Committee B to give evidence in support of his written submission to the Committee’s Inquiry into the Electoral Disclosure and Funding Amendment Bill 2024 (No. 9).
In the course of that evidence, Mr Browne brought a number of donations to the attention for the Committee, including those from Responsible Wagering Australia Holdings Ltd to the Liberal Party of Tasmania. Responsible Wagering Australia, a lobby group, represents Sportsbet, the AFL’s gambling partner.
Watch the video to learn about the donations made in the weeks just prior to the Tasmanian Government’s 2022 announcement that the AFL’s Hobart stadium would be at Macquarie Point.
The AFL is addicted to the gambling dollar. It draws massive sums every year from:
- marketing, including gambling signage at its venues
- Sportsbet sponsorship
- broadcast rights underwritten by media companies paid millions to show gambling ads
- bookmaker “product fees”.
If you are keen to understand more about the links between the AFL and gambling, click below for a few articles you can read.
In July and Aug 2022 the gaming lobby - representing the AFL’s sponsorship partner, Sportsbet - made two big donations to the Tas Liberal party. Then, in Sept 2022, the Tas Liberal party announced it was to build an AFL stadium at Macquarie point in Hobart. @Peter_Fitz pic.twitter.com/t9Yy4CuOrJ
— 💧Roland Browne (@slowguns) July 26, 2024