Cricket Australia (CA) will stage a home Test without a major betting brand on its boundary rope for the first time in more than 15 years, with Toyota taking over the signage previously associated with Bet365 for the Tests against Bangladesh in Darwin and Mackay, according to a report by The Sydney Morning Herald’s Daniel Brettig. The change follows the expiry of CA’s partnership with Bet365, which had held a prominent boundary presence at Australian Test matches since 2012.
Toyota, already a major commercial partner of CA, was being installed on the boundary signage at Marrara Stadium ahead of the opening Test against Bangladesh. The end of the Bet365 arrangement also leaves Australian cricket without a major betting sponsor for the first time since the late 2000s, when Betfair partnered with the sport.
Toyota takes over Test boundary asset
A Cricket Australia Spokesperson told The Sydney Morning Herald: “We negotiate different deals for signage assets across the season.”
“We are grateful for the support of Toyota which is the boundary rope partner for the Tests in Darwin and Mackay.”
CA has not linked the expiry of the Bet365 partnership to proposed federal restrictions on gambling advertising and declined to comment on whether the changing regulatory environment influenced the non-renewal. The governing body has also not ruled out entering into another commercial partnership with a betting company in the future.
Gambling advertising faces tighter restrictions
The sponsorship change comes as the Australian government pursues a series of measures aimed at reducing the visibility of gambling advertising. Changes introduced by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s government in July, but not yet passed by federal parliament, include restrictions covering sports venues, team apparel, television and online advertising.
Speaking at the National Press Club in April, Albanese said: “We are getting the balance right. Letting adults have a punt if they want to, but making sure our children don’t see betting ads everywhere they look. Because we don’t want kids growing up thinking that footy and gambling are inextricably linked,”
“We will build on the reforms that we’ve already delivered to combat gambling harm. Between 6am and 8.30pm, we will cap the number of TV ads for betting agencies at a maximum of three per hour.”
“We will ban all gambling ads on cross promotion content that mixes commentary with odds. We’ll end advertising on jerseys and jumpers and in stadiums, and will ban online advertising unless the user is verified as being over 18 and has the ability to opt out.”
Cricket has maintained limits around betting
Australian cricket’s relationship with wagering companies has historically differed across its competitions. While betting brands have held commercial arrangements with CA, the governing body has not accepted wagering sponsorship offers for the Big Bash League or Women’s Big Bash League since those competitions began, reflecting their positioning towards children and families.
Cricket has also placed significant restrictions on the live and in-play betting options bookmakers can offer on the sport. Separately, there have been suggestions that CA could seek additional revenue through betting product fees, which sporting organisations charge in connection with betting markets offered on their competitions.
For now, Toyota will occupy the boundary-rope inventory for the Darwin and Mackay Tests, while CA has left open the possibility of working with another betting partner in the future.
