Why are professional sports clubs getting involved?
Professional sports clubs across South Australia are seeing a noticeable rise in sports betting. Gambling companies are not just spending big on advertising, they're investing millions of dollars in sponsorships across almost every sport in Australia.
Professional clubs are also noticing an alarming trend amongst their youngest supporters. These young fans think sport and gambling go hand in hand. This is why Here For The Game is so important. Through awareness and education, the initiative is designed to challenge the normalisation of betting in sport and to reinforce the positive aspects of sport without gambling and we are doing it with the help of some of South Australia's biggest sporting clubs.
Which clubs are saying no to sports betting sponsorships?
2021
Adelaide United Football Club are announced as the inaugural Here For The Game partner. The club chose to put the wellbeing of their community ahead of accepting sports betting sponsorships. This leadership demonstrated to the wider South Australian community a public commitment to reinforcing the positive aspects of sport without gambling and a reminder to fans of the real reasons they love sport in the first place.
2022
The Adelaide 36ers and the Adelaide Giants joined the team. These clubs along with Adelaide United recognised the importance of the initiative in helping break the desensitisation that has occurred when it comes to gambling on sports and the serious impacts it can have.
2023
Here For The Game team welcomed the Adelaide Football Club into the squad. It is anticipated that the Crow's far reaching impact will help boost awareness of the initiative to it's 68,000+ membership base and much more.
2024
We welcomed the Adelaide Thunderbirds to the Here For The Game initiative which brings the total number of professional South Australian sporting teams to five! Being the first all-female sporting team, it is hoped this partnership will create awareness of gambling harm amongst this emerging cohort.
This is what our partners have to say:
Adelaide United
“It fits with our values as a safe, family-friendly and community-minded club who wants to set positive and healthy behaviour trends. We have had overwhelming support from our fans, with especially parents commenting on how proud they are of the club in saying no to sports betting sponsorships and advertising.”
Nathan Kosmina , CEO
Adelaide Crows
“As an elite sporting club we know that we have a responsibility towards our fans, especially kids, to promote positive behaviours and attitudes. Joining the Here For The Game campaign is a great fit with that responsibility and it gives us another platform to be role models”.
Tim Silvers, CEO
Adelaide 36ers
“As a sporting club who aims to be known for providing families with entertaining athletic performances and healthy role models, we are proud to take a stand against sports betting. We look forward to spreading the message among our fans and the wider South Australian community that you don’t have to place bets to enjoy our games.”
Nic Barbato, CEO Adelaide 36ers
Adelaide Giants
"We’re committed to being a positive force in our community and we’re confident baseball is a sport that doesn’t need gambling for people to have fun. The Giants are proud to partner with the fantastic initiatives of Here for the Game and demonstrate leadership in our community."
Nathan Davison, GM Adelaide Giants
Adelaide Thunderbirds
"We are a club that has our fans at its heart, and we want them to know that all the best aspects of sport are our great game itself and being here with us in the moment, not what might be happening on a sports betting app. We are proud to stand alongside other great South Australian teams to disrupt the normalisation of betting in sport."
Bronwyn Klei, CEO