“The sure way of getting nothing for something”. Sports podcasters and sports betting

Sports podcasters who “should know better” enthusiastically promote online gambling (with all its consequences). Andrew Gardiner reports.

Still searching for that little corner of Australian society, politics and sports media that our ubiquitous gambling industry can’t reach? Here’s a pro tip: sports podcasts aren’t where you’ll find it.

Problem gambling has established causal links with depression and anxiety and suicide. But some sports podcasters clarified Those who had recently had their own experiences with mental illness were happy to take the money and put an end to their gambling problem.

Take former AFL ruckman/forward Daniel Gorringe (last year “I wanted to get hurtto avoid pressure to perform in accordance with one’s status top 10 draft pick) and former co-host (and teammate) Dylan Buckley said:vomiting and intrusive thoughts“Before the game, he wished he would get injured on the pitch at some stage and not have to play for six weeks.” Gorringe hosts Australian Dan Does Footy. best sports podcast.

Gorringe, who was sacked by Carlton and kicked out of the AFL in 2017, found himself with “nothing in the bank, no purpose anymore… and it got to a really bad point where I was seriously considering not doing it.” I want to be here”.

Ambassador of mental health education program Struggle with Your Emotionsclearly empathizes with those embarking on the journey – common among athletes – performance anxiety and severe depression.

elephant in the studio

What about among others? one sixth Australians who are seriously considering suicide, are not elite athletes and have received special training different way To the same dark place? At least on air fighting now Gorringe and Buckley ignore the elephant in the studio: gambling problema known one harbinger of suicide.

In fact, Gorringe et al actively activate.

“We ride the wave together every bet” he told Sportsbet’s website. That’s right, readers: Daniel Gorringe, the ‘independent’ podcaster with experiences with suicidal ideation, is the online face of Sportsbet. Sports BettingA leading gambling site is accused of Promoting a known cause of suicide.

Sportsbet also sponsors Gorringe NRL equivalentGet ‘Em Onside is where the website’s trader Sean previews the weekend’s rugby league betting action. Sponsorship dollars don’t end when football ends; Popular cricket podcast The Grubs is also a member of the wider Sportsbet stable.

Take Them to the Side

Gorringe and the former NRL playmaker in return Joel Caine (from Get ‘Em Onside) provides information, tips and betting analysis through the company’s online tipping platform.

Not to be outdone, Buckley co-founded Productiony, a podcast producer, and Clubby, a sports network that “helps brands reach men ages 18-34, one of the hardest audiences to market to and connect with.” He was joined there by Sportsbet’s former head of partnerships, Adam Pattison.

Podcasts in the Clubby lineup include 200 PLUS, another Sportsbet community that goes to extraordinary lengths to promote the challenging sport of 200 PLUS. greyhound racing by purchasing Conqueror, a real greyhound, and offering shares of the dog to his audience. Podcast, “Keep up to date with racing and the people’s dog, Conqueror!” proudly declares.

Another of Clubby’s stablemates, comedian Broden Kelly (host of The Footy with Bro), explains the impact of gambling on sports podcasters. “It’s hard to sustain success in this environment unless you’re on ABC or getting gambling money,” he sent.

“Gambling companies are targeting vulnerable content creators and their advertising space.”

Media and law graduate ‘Tim’ from Adelaide MWMHis attention to what he called Gorringe and others’ “hypocrisy” on gambling itself hit rock bottom just 12 months ago. “I attempted suicide in October 2024 and I’m so glad I failed; I love my life (and) I’m at a stage now where I feel like I can help others,” he said.

The saturation of gambling ads in sports (targeted to men, like Tim, aged 18-34) particularly irritates him. Tim finds it hard to believe that young men like Gorringe, who are contemplating suicide, could support activities that would leave others facing the same fate.

He also hates politicians who practically turn a blind eye. “MPs from both major parties are taking blood money from gambling sites, so they are allowed to operate unregulated. It’s disgusting,” he said.

But gambling advertising reforms have stalled

Canberra has yet to formally respond to 31 recommendations in the 2023 ‘You win some, you lose more’ report, which include an hour-long ad shutdown before live sports broadcasts and a limit of two ads an hour beyond that. However, the arguments for some form of regulation seem convincing: Victoria Responsible Gambling Foundation, 948 gambling ads Every day on the state’s free television in 2021.

But Tim added that any new regulations on advertising would not affect the online presence of gambling companies and the resulting rules would do little to slow the online sports betting juggernaut.

Tim and MWM He sent a series of questions to Clubby Sports; the most pressing of which was whether the company had implemented any strategies to mitigate the negative aspects of sports betting and what it was doing to support young men struggling with their mental health. We had not heard from them until the time of publication.

“I watched (the AFL Grand Final in September) with 20 of my best friends,” Tim said. “Approximately 80 percent of the room bet on the match via the Sportsbet app”.

“That was very sad.”

Isolated… trapped

A case study on the influence and impact of online sports betting is ‘Jack’ whose shocking story was published. flaws Podcast in 2023. The audience was shocked by some of the tactics companies used to exploit ‘Jack’s’ vulnerability.

“When I was at my worst and didn’t have much money to my name…they would call me every few days,” ‘Jack’ said. “I had a personal contact at the bookmaker who called me and said, ‘Jack, we’ll give you an extra $300 if you deposit $100, can you do that now?’ they said.

“As a gambler, I was living my money off and I would fall into that trap. So I would deposit (the money) and it would last a few hours at most and then I would be back to square one.”

“At one point I got a call: ‘Jack, are you happy with the AFL? We see you’ve bet quite a bit on it. Would you like some tickets to the game this weekend? You can come to the box’.”

“Since I felt so alone and trapped in gambling (addiction), having that person (making such an offer) made me feel special.” But ‘Jack’ also knows the low points when that short-term buzz of excitement gives way to a harsh reality of financial difficulties, relationship problems, deterioration in mental health, stress-related health problems, potential legal entanglements and, yes, thoughts of self-harm or suicide.

‘Jack’ is just one of them 9.3 percent A large (and growing number) of Australian men participating in sports betting attempted suicide. “(This is) a surefire way to get nothing in return,” American playwright Wilson Mizner once wrote.

The process of recruiting vulnerable Australians like Jack begins with retired stars and media personalities on the sports gambling payroll happily offering tips or producing content on everything from television screens to streaming audio. But Tim is particularly angry when it comes to podcasters who have their own mental health history.

“Daniel Gorringe considered suicide and Dylan Buckley was also in a difficult situation. They should know better.”

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An Adelaide-based Media Studies graduate with an MA in Social Policy, I was an editor covering current affairs, local government and sport for a variety of publications before deciding to change careers in 2002.