AFL clubs sign up to responsible gambling charter

More Australian Football League (AFL) clubs are signing up to a charter to end sponsorship and fundraising tied to gambling.

The St. Kilde, Essendon, and the Western Bulldogs have signed the Victorian Responsible Foundation’s Gambling’s not a Game program to remove the promotion of betting at their clubs and matches, joining the Hawthorn, Collingwood, North Melbourne and Melbourne Victory.

Under the charter, the clubs commit to refrain from making sponsorship with sports betting companies as well as keeping gambling away from areas young people are present including club, social and fundraising activities.

The clubs signing up to the charter have met cynicism as the majority of elite signatories have poker machine interests. Punters at Hawthorne-owned venues lose more than $22m in 2014. The Collingwood, Essendon, the Bulldogs and St. Kilda also have pokies.