The Australian Football League (AFL) is facing backlash from bookmakers and gambling reform advocates as it seeks to increase its share of betting revenue, a move that some warn could lead to an uptick in promotional gambling incentives. This development has raised concerns about the potential for increased gambling-related harm, particularly among amateur bettors.
Recent league documents, as reported by The Guardian Australia, indicate that AFL executives are concerned about integrity risks within sports betting and believe securing a larger portion of the wagering revenue is necessary to strengthen oversight. However, bookmakers argue that the AFL’s strategy could force smaller operators to adopt aggressive promotional tactics to stay competitive.
The league had initially proposed a minimum annual fee of $20,000 for all bookmakers taking bets on AFL games. Following negotiations, revised figures were introduced, reducing the fee for smaller bookmakers to $3,000 in 2025, $5,000 in 2026, and $7,000 in 2027. While these sums are manageable for major betting companies, smaller operators reliant on horse racing markets see them as a significant financial burden.
James Filgate, who runs the betting brand JimmyBet, expressed his concerns over the impact of these changes on smaller operators. “The only way to increase my turnover would be to introduce and advertise an incentive program on the AFL product to increase my turnover by twentyfold, for viability,” Filgate told The Guardian.
“The reality is if we don’t offer the AFL product, our wagering business becomes less attractive to my clients who demand a selection of products. This will create less competition in the market, if businesses like mine don’t bet on the [AFL] or fold.”
Bookmakers are reportedly considering increased use of inducements, such as free bets and deposit match offers, to counterbalance the additional fees imposed by the AFL. These marketing tactics are often aimed at casual gamblers, who tend to be less experienced and more likely to incur losses.
Filgate suggested the AFL’s push for more gambling money had undermined its social licence. “The AFL has a social responsibility to all its supporters of the game and its partners to ween itself from the gambling revenue, before its dependence is irreversible,” he said.
“I don’t understand why the AFL is wanting to go down this path to budget a financial scenario where it becomes dependent on gambling revenue, especially as a growing number of clubs have listened to members and moved away from pokies.”
Gambling reform advocates have voiced strong opposition to the growing use of inducements. Nearly 18 months ago, a federal inquiry led by the late Labor MP Peta Murphy recommended an immediate ban on such promotions, but no legislative action has been taken to date.
Samantha Thomas, a gambling expert at Deakin University, criticized the focus on revenue generation rather than harm prevention. “We are in increasingly dangerous territory when discussions seem to be more about who will profit from gambling, rather than how can we do all we can to prevent gambling-related harms,” she said.
The AFL has not responded to inquiries about its revenue strategy. However, internal documents accessed by The Guardian indicate that league officials are concerned about gaps in their ability to monitor betting activity, describing the situation as an “unprecedented” integrity challenge.
Jim Wackett, general manager of Wesley Mission, argued that the AFL’s financial strategy underscores the urgent need for government intervention. “If the AFL is going to squeeze bookmakers for more money to fix their broken integrity system, all that means is that the bookmakers will in turn squeeze punters more and more,” Wackett said.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2025/03/06/97192-australian-football-league-39s-gambling-revenue-demands-could-push-bookmakers-toward-risky-incentives
