Centrebet starting to get us some negative media coverage

[loris]

Thought this would happen and personnaly I agree with the criticism levelled as I'm not a fan of gambling, and it's consequences on society.

The Parliamentary Joint Select Committee on Gambling Reform has made recommendations to stop the 'normalisation' of gambling during sport and the effects it has on children.

Naturally the Saints are getting their fair share of coverage, which is to be expected with the Centrebet logo on their jumpers. I just detest seeing that logo above our crest.

Some of the pieces coming out from the Committee reported in todays The Australian...........

"The Committee heard the Centrebet logo was clearly visible on a St Kilda jersey 438 times during one game"

'A young St Kilda fan watches the AFL on television on a Saturday night early in the season, his team trying to dig itself out of a first quarter hole. His favourite player, the star Nick Riewoldt, leads and marks and then lines up for goal.

The cameras zoom in for a close-up as Reiwoldt prepares to kick, the team's sponsor Centrebet, an on line gambling company, prominately displayed across his chest on his black, white and red jersey.

"If he kicks this one I bet the odds will start to move back to the Saints," the 11 year old boy says to his father, both viewers having been apprised of the match odds during the game.

This brief personal anecdote exemplifies a growing concern of parents across the country: the "normalisation" of gambling in sport for children.
It is an issue highlighted in a federal parliamentary report tabled yesterday, the Inquiry into interactive and on line gambling and gambling advertising....................................'

Of course a photo in the paper has to be of Rooey with the Centrebet logo on his guernsey.

I had real misgivings about the Saints taking on Centrebet as a sponsor.
(The evils of Gambling/Vice/Drugs and money laundering still go hand in hand in this society, not to mention the evils of match fixing in sport.

Hopefully if the Governemnt takes up some of the recommendations of this committee; and, they eventually get through parliament, I may not have to see that logo sully the Saints guernsey anymore.

[jays]

really any sponser is a good one think we can get over it

[plugger66]

I really couldnt care who sponsors us as long as it is legal for them to sponsor us. Its about time parents parented instead of looking for excuses all the time. I bet quite a bit and there was no advertising back when I was young. My Daughter couldnt give a stuff about betting and there is plenty of advertising now. Cant claim my parenting for it all but if she showed any interest in gambling I would explain the pros and cons. Pity I havent been able to do that with drinking. I blame the advertising for that.

[st_Trav_ofWA]

i reckon the real evil is in the adverts before after and during the games heck every single footy show tells you the odds for the game when the team lists are announced plus the commentators promote things like the first goal scored bets ect ect .... there is the real problem not the logo on the jumper ... heck if logo's on jumpers were that effective at getting kids to buy in to the advertising clubs would be charging a lot more for the privilage

[ausfatcat]

If and it's a big if the government enacts these recommendations I would imagine current sponsership contracts will be alowed to run there course.

[saint66au]

Id be complaining far harder about the appalling cross-promotion with gambling companies in the TV match coverage before we start ripping the log off jumpers

[hungry for a premiership]

There has to be a balance. Over saturation of the betting odds etc is a bad thing, but so is a nanny state.

[Leo.J]

I really couldnt care who sponsors us as long as it is legal for them to sponsor us. Its about time parents parented instead of looking for excuses all the time. I bet quite a bit and there was no advertising back when I was young. My Daughter couldnt give a stuff about betting and there is plenty of advertising now. Cant claim my parenting for it all but if she showed any interest in gambling I would explain the pros and cons. Pity I havent been able to do that with drinking. I blame the advertising for that.

Spot on Plugger

Stop making excuses people...

[plugger66]

Id be complaining far harder about the appalling cross-promotion with gambling companies in the TV match coverage before we start ripping the log off jumpers

That is stopping next season. I think it has already stopped on the cricket. I still think that if it is done you can still explain to your kids what gambling is about. Nothing wrong with kids knowlng about the odds in gambling as long as they know the downside. Actually knowing odds is great for your maths.

[Leo.J]

I have more of a problem with MacDonald's targeting kids with their advertising.

There are more kids with obesity than gambling problems.

Then again it's up to the parents to say no...

[Dr Spaceman]

I really couldnt care who sponsors us as long as it is legal for them to sponsor us. Its about time parents parented instead of looking for excuses all the time. I bet quite a bit and there was no advertising back when I was young. My Daughter couldnt give a stuff about betting and there is plenty of advertising now. Cant claim my parenting for it all but if she showed any interest in gambling I would explain the pros and cons. Pity I havent been able to do that with drinking. I blame the advertising for that.

And another spot on from me plugger.

......."If he kicks this one I bet the odds will start to move back to the Saints," the 11 year old boy says to his father, both viewers having been apprised of the match odds during the game.....

What a perfect opportunity for the father of the 11 year old boy to pull him up and explain the evils of gambling

[noblejohn]

Who the hell would sit there and count the number of times, and we are paying for this crap through our taxes. fair dinkum what rubbish. lets ban all advertising for junk food, acohol, mind destroying tv shows, justin bieber records, iinet ads,
Keep the beer ads though, best ones on tv

[Sainternist]

A shame if we're forced to remove the Centrebet logo because it has been one of the easiest sponsor logos on the eye.

[Dr Spaceman]

Can't be bothered reading such a report.

However as this is a Federal Goverment thingy I assume the Manly Sea Eagles are copping just as much as the Saints

[loris]

Id be complaining far harder about the appalling cross-promotion with gambling companies in the TV match coverage before we start ripping the log off jumpers

That is also huge gripe of mine............. can't watch football, cricket match or many sports on commercial TV without commentators promoting live odds every few minutes. Most galling is the retired sports person (role model?) spruiking. All it is doing is normalising gambing in the community..........very incidious, addictive way of getting the vulnerable hooked into a habit.

Nah I hope gambling advertising eventually goes the way of tobacco advertising in this country.

At least I did have the courage of my convictions. I wrote last year to the St Kilda FC and expressed my displease at Centrebet being placed above our crest. Told them I wasn't pleased with Gambling sponsorship, that was difficult for me to accept, and I felt it would eventually bring the Saints negative coverage as sociey attitudes are changing from equating smoking, drinking and gambling as being positive macho sporting things.
However, seeing the logo on back of guernsey was hard enough to put up with, but to have it placed above our crest was very disappointing. I didn't like it when Jeld Wend's logo was above the crest also. Got a polite little bit of spin back about the value of sponsors............... duurhh.

Call me a traditionalist, but if you are going to have a coat of arms, crest etc ............. that is what is sacrossant, nothing goes above the coat of arms/crest if one know's the tradions behind heraldry.

Very confusing, when Brendan Goddard thumps his chest with his hand after he has finished an inspiring bit of play...... He could be signifying his allegience to the crest on his jumper, the belief in the motto, that his effort was all from the heat or heaven forbid could he could simply be praising the gambling gods logo that has pride of place on his guernsey. After all the sponsors logo is top place there on the guernsey.

I'm pragmatic enough to know that Clubs have to take on sponsorship from companies/organisations that they possibly would prefer not to......... sadly that is the way of the world, principles are funny old fashioned values that have to be continually pushed to the side for money.

At least the Melbourne Cricket Ground is heading in the right direction (IMHO). They have announced they are moving to eliminate live odds from its scoreboards next season.

So hopefully a change in thinking is starting to evolve and if I wait long enough that centrebet logo will have disappeared from our guernsey.

Atleast I remain constant with my support of the Saints whether they are successful or not. Can't say that with a sponsor, they will be off the minute they cannot get their pound of flesh out of the Club.

[SainterK]

Harsh reality, is the club needed someone, anyone

[sunsaint]

I really couldnt care who sponsors us as long as it is legal for them to sponsor us. Its about time parents parented instead of looking for excuses all the time. I bet quite a bit and there was no advertising back when I was young. My Daughter couldnt give a stuff about betting and there is plenty of advertising now. Cant claim my parenting for it all but if she showed any interest in gambling I would explain the pros and cons. Pity I havent been able to do that with drinking. I blame the advertising for that.

Spot on Plugger

Stop making excuses people...

absolute rubbish
gambling has been great for cricket/NRL hasnt it?
if you cant see whats coming then you probably are one of those problem gamblers we keep hearing about
the step in the AFL gambling push will be who scores the next goal, players will spend most of their time staring up at the scoreboard, with their mate on the boundary watching for the secret signal.

[stinger]

i'm with you on this one loris....

[snowdelisaint]

I have not bought any merchandise since that company appeared.

[Dave Robicheaux]

No place for gambling in sport y'all. NO PLACE (if we want to see integrity in the game)

[The Bluff]

if the government has a problem with gambling then they should get rid of Tatslotto. But that would hurt there own income stream so they won't.

Bunch of hypocrites.

[bobmurray]

Here is the link to the inspiration to this lot......again

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-n ... 6217643568

[noddy04]

I bet we eventually lose the Centrebet sponsorship

[bobmurray]

I bet we eventually lose the Centrebet sponsorship

Bet it pays SFA....

[desertsaint]

most wouldn't let their kids wear anything promoting cigs, alcohol, or gambling. yet here are their heroes...