News and media releases: Love the Game

At the age of 21, John* had lost everything. Two years later, he’s on the way back.

AFL Hall of Famer Scott West was considered one of the hardest working and most sportsman-like of footy players. His career spanned 16 seasons and 324 games for the Western Bulldogs, winning a record seven Charlie Sutton medals as best and fairest for the club. In life, as in the game, he’s widely regarded as a bloke who tells it as it is. Here he advises young players of today – as well all young people – how to keep themselves safe, and when to make a stand.

In the week leading up to the AFL Victoria 2018 “Love the Game” themed round, we caught up with Darren Crocker. Darren was a versatile North Melbourne player for 14 years, notching up 165 games, with a few injuries in between. He is currently North Melbourne’s Director of Coaching and Midfield Coach. Darren particularly appreciates the “Love the Game” round because it serves as a reminder to fans, club officials and players that the game, at the grass roots or professional level, retains its pure spirit, despite the increasingly aggressive presence of sports betting promotions and advertising.

“The Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation is encouraged to learn that another of Victoria’s AFL clubs, Collingwood FC, has made the decision to rescind its interests in gaming,” the Foundation’s acting CEO, Craig Swift, said this afternoon.

During 20-22 July, elite and community sporting clubs will put aside traditional rivalries to unite players, clubs and fans to focus on our shared love of the game, not the odds. The round is designed to remind kids that sport and betting don't have to go together and encourage parents, coaches and others to talk to kids about gambling, especially the risks they face.

In this edition Louise discusses: The Foundation's research agenda 2018-2022, funding opportunities for early career researchers, public awareness campaign The 100 Day Challenge, Reclink Community Cup, Love The Game Round, prevention programs, The Foundation’s third biennial conference, Gambling harm: Taking action for change.

In this edition Louise discusses: National Reconciliation Week, gambling harm in Aboriginal communities, Love The Game, Victorian Population Gambling and Health Study, The Foundation’s third biennial conference, Gambling harm: Taking action for change, Inside Gambling.

In 2014 the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation launched our Love the Game Sporting Club Program in response to community concern about the convergence of sport and gambling. The program was designed to shift our focus away from gambling and back to the love of sport. It aimed to highlight gambling and sports betting as a community issue and inform people about the risks of gambling harm.

Stigma remains a significant issue for people experiencing gambling harm, with more than 50 per cent of adults who participated in the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation’s 2017 community attitudes survey declaring most people would think less of a person who struggles with their gambling.

Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation CEO Louise Glanville has welcomed Melbourne Football Club’s announcement today that it plans to divest itself of gaming machines as a source of revenue.

As part of AFL Victoria's commitment to address social issues affecting the community, each of these organisations will have state wide themed rounds during the 2018 season, including our very own 'Love The Game' round in July.

In this edition Louise discusses: our prevention partnership program, grants for regional and rural Victoria, CALD prevention grants, Reclink Australia, Mallee District Aboriginal Services, Anglicare Victoria's financial literacy programs, The Foundation's normalisation awareness campaign 'The Talk', Love The Game.

Parents are encouraged to have a conversation with their teenage children about the risks and potential harms of gambling under the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation’s latest marketing campaign, The Talk, now running on TV, radio and online.

I experienced one of the best events football has to offer when I attended the VFL men’s, VFL women’s and TAC Cup Grand Finals at Etihad Stadium over the weekend.

Geelong Football Club has become the latest sports team to say no to gambling sponsorship by signing the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation’s responsible gambling charter.

The Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation today announced Football Federation Victoria (FFV) has signed the foundation’s Love the Game Responsible Gambling Charter and will say no to gambling sponsorship.

The Melbourne Rebels have signed the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation’s responsible gambling charter, standing shoulder to shoulder with an impressive line-up of elite sporting teams saying no to gambling sponsorships.

Cricket Victoria is the latest sporting group to say no to gambling sponsorships by signing the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation’s responsible gambling charter.

Melbourne Victory Football Club were one of the first elite sporting clubs to sign the Responsible Gambling Charter back in 2013. The club were trailblazers, recognising that betting had fundamentally changed the way fans were experiencing sport and taking the admirable step to forgo sponsorships with sports betting providers.

Parents are being urged to talk to teenage sports fans about the risks of gambling in a new campaign by the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation.