North Melbourne has re-signed the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation’s Responsible Gambling Charter.
The club has renewed its pledge to not take on sponsorship from betting agencies, to promote the message of responsible gambling and to provide Roos players as ambassadors to help spread the word throughout the community.
North CEO Carl Dilena said the Roos were one of the first clubs to sign up to the charter in recent years, along with A-League side Melbourne Victory, however this year, more AFL teams have committed to the charter.
“It’s great to see this year, there are more clubs signing up to it and getting on board,” Dilena told SEN’s Morning Glory.
With increased sports betting advertising, Dilena said younger fans were often the ones exposed to gambling in sport and as part of the charter, were a target area for increased education.
“The focus of this campaign is very much around the visibility of betting agencies in the general public,” he said.
“It’s a really big challenge. That was one of the focuses of the campaign and the charter – trying to highlight the impact it has on kids.
“It’s just everywhere at the moment and you can’t avoid it. It’s a matter of making sure you’re aware of the impact on kids and making sure you’re teaching them the right messages about responsible gambling.”
Dilena said he was pleased that approximately 140 community clubs had also signed up to the charter, showing a strong commitment at the grassroots level.
Find out more about the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation’s Responsible Gambling Charter at www.responsiblegambling.vic.gov.au.