Gambling and Professional Sports: Why the AFL Situation Was Predictable

The AFL and the Australian media are caught up in a story about 4 players accused of betting on AFL matches or some aspect thereof.   All of the players, to the extent public comment has been made, deny betting on their own club and claim that the bets were small potatoes stuff, as little as A$10.    Perhaps that will prove to be the case.  But no one, not the AFL, the AFLPA, the Aussie media, or sports fans should be surprised.

For the record, I am not an anti-gambling crusader and while I think most gambling, particularly by non-professionals, is money wasted and you would be better off putting it in a bank, I don't believe that we should completely outlaw it.   However, past incidences in other leagues and professional sports should have long ago told the AFL that it's open embrace of organized betting in Australia and it's endorsement of gambling on it's matches was at odds with it's warning to young, wealthy footy players not to be bet on their own sport.  If mother AFL can reap the rewards why shouldn't some 19 year old sitting on an AFL bench with cash in his pocket?

It is blatantly hypocritical of the AFL to endorse organized gambling on its matches, pocket reams of cash therefrom, but then tell everyone else "naughty, naughty".  The mixed message here undermines the need to prevent it from infiltrating the game itself.   As has happened in many other major sports around the world including soccer, baseball, basketball, etc. it was only a matter of time until player betting occurred.  It is likely only a matter of time until a much more serious scandal occurs under the current rules.  

That's my opinion, what's yours?

-Rob de Santos
AFANA Chairman