PointsBet Australia CEO admits some types of gambling sponsorship are "no longer appropriate"
Andrew Catterall suggests the operator will not renew its stadium naming rights deal with the Cronulla Sharks over community concerns
PointsBet Australia CEO Andrew Catterall has claimed some forms of gambling sponsorship are “no longer appropriate” amid shifting attitudes from the public on the sector.
The exec’s comments come after the operator declined to renew its stadium sponsorship rights deal with Australian National Rugby League (NRL) side, the Cronulla Sharks.
The ASX-listed company signed a six-year naming rights deal with the club, whose home ground is currently called the PointsBet Stadium, back in 2019.
The commercial agreement is set to come to a close in December 2024, and has elected not to renew the deal, the Sharks confirmed.
Catterall did concede that if the current climate surrounding gambling advertisement was different, PointsBet would have looked to extend the deal in place with the club.
The CEO explained: “Our naming rights deal for PointsBet Stadium has been a fantastic partnership and, under different circumstances, is an agreement that we would have been very keen to renew.
“However, community attitudes to gambling advertising have changed, and stadium naming rights and perimeter signage are no longer appropriate for the category.”
Catterall went on to admit that he expects the Australian government to outline a new gambling advertising regime in the coming months.
“We will continue our long-term support for the Sharks through a different partnership arrangement,” Catterall said.
“Any new agreement will align with the expectations of the wider community under what we anticipate to be a reformed national gambling advertising regime.”
Sharks CEO Dino Mezzatesta added: “We respect PointsBet’s decision given their changing operating environment, and are delighted they will continue to invest in the Sharks.
“This has been a wonderful partnership, and we look forward to continuing to work with Andrew and his team.”
Neither PointsBet nor the Sharks have detailed how that new partnership will manifest, at the time of writing.
PointsBet is a “major partner” of fellow NRL side, the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles, having penned a sponsorship deal in September 2021.
That deal sees PointsBet serve as the front-of-shirt sponsor for the team. The firm also has commercial deals in place with Cricket Australia, the NRL, the AFL, Rugby Australia, Football Australia and Tennis Australia.
The Sharks Group will work with agency Sports and Entertainment 131 to select a new stadium naming rights partner.
The decision from those at the top of the PointsBet hierarchy comes just three months after two other NRL outfits, the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, extended an already existing partnership with the New South Wales government’s ‘Reclaim the Game’ initiative.
The campaign aims to reduce the amount of gambling advertisement in sport, having been launched in 2020 before the two aforementioned clubs signed up to the charter in March 2022.
Terms of the initiative include clubs agreeing not to display betting adverts during home games, while also promoting Reclaim the Game through various channels as well as rejecting all sports betting sponsorships.
The Sharks are not the only NRL side to have their home ground sponsored by a betting operator; the Penrith Panthers’ home ground is currently called the BlueBet Stadium.