The AFL has admitted its integrity system for online gambling is seriously deficient and struggles to identity whether players, coaches and staff are using inside information to manipulate betting markets, in breach of their contracts.
Leaked documents seen by Guardian Australia reveal executives have expressed alarm about an “unprecedented” increase in “integrity risks” posed by the wagering industry, which has exploded in popularity since the pandemic with more than 80 bookmakers now taking bets on its games.
The documents reveal the AFL lacks “visibility across a broad cross section of betting turnover” and only sees the “tip of the iceberg”. It has also raised concern about several “bottlenecks” and “blindspots” that have prevented it from quickly detecting if players, coaches and staff are betting on games or sharing sensitive information.
These concerns, which have not been spoken about publicly, have been used by the AFL to justify a campaign to seize an even bigger share of the money Australians gamble on its games. This is despite sustained criticism for its close association with the wagering sector and its gambling advertising being viewed by impressionable children.