[image credit : Artshub]
South Australian premier Jay has backed his fast-tracked code to ban live betting advertising despite having received mixed reviews from the gaming and sports industries ahead of the introduction of the legislation next week.
Australian media said the state government would enforce the ban under Part 3A of South Australia’s Authorised Betting Operations Act 2000, binding authorised interstate betting operators to comply with advertising and responsible gambling codes by the Independent Gambling Authority.
Weatherill said, “The original Free TV proposal did not reflect community attitudes and would have still allowed sponsored segments to promote the odds whenever the game is not in play, such as during scheduled breaks or suspension of play.”
Betfair criticised the South Australian government, branding its stand-alone approach as ‘confused’ as a national code is due to be released in August. The company believes live betting is best addressed within a national framework.
Daniel Bevan of Betfair said, “This area should be regulated at a federal level where we have been engaged in the public consultation with Free TV. The South Australian Government should have contributed to this process rather than adopt its own confused code.
“We have already made changes in reaction to public feedback but there should be a nationally consistent set of regulations rather than different rules in each state.”
Independent Gambling Authority director Robert Chappell said that the organisation had formulated a policy tackling live betting advertising last year due to a ‘statutory responsibility’ to protect the public. The organisation completed its code of practice review at the end of 2012, which was then tabled in May.
Chappell said, “By bringing this forward South Australians will not be bombarded when watching this year’s football series.”
