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A gambling website illegally soliciting bets on sporting clashes between Victoria’s most elite private schools has been reported to state and federal authorities.
The Associated Public Schools (APS) group of 11 upmarket schools says it has called in the state’s gaming authority and the federal communications watchdog to investigate the site apsbet.xyz.
The site, hosted by a domain provider on Melbourne’s outskirts, offers to take bets on the outcome of sporting contests between APS schools, which include Geelong Grammar, Brighton Grammar, Melbourne Grammar and Scotch College.
The APS boys’ football competition has become closely followed by AFL fans, as the schools look for a competitive edge over their rivals by harvesting the state’s best junior talent with the lure of lucrative scholarships.
The APS competition is widely regarded as one of Australia’s best junior football competitions and the schools involved field large numbers of AFL draft prospects.
The private schools compete against each other in 21 other sports, split into three seasons: summer, winter and spring.
It is not clear who is behind the website – which was taking bets on round six games for APS football, rugby and soccer on May 30 – and it does not appear to be registered with the Australian corporate regulator.
The operators of apsbets.xyz, who call their site “the leading platform for APS punting”, have not responded to attempts to contact them. The website was working on Monday morning but appeared to have been taken down by the afternoon.
The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission in 2023 banned betting on any sport where all the participants are minors.
A school source, not authorised to discuss the matter publicly, said apsbets.xyz’s hosting producer had been approached and asked to remove the site, as it appeared to be operating unlawfully and breaching the provider’s terms of service.
A spokesman for the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) confirmed it was made aware of the website and was taking appropriate action.
“The Interactive Gambling Act (2001) makes it an offence to provide or advertise unlicensed regulated interactive gambling services in Australia – such as online wagering,” the authority’s spokesman said.
APS acting chair Ross Featherston, the headmaster of Brighton Grammar, said the group was seeking the immediate removal of the gambling website.
“The APS does not condone, in any way, this site,” Featherston said.
“The APS wishes for the immediate removal of this site and has been actively addressing this matter since becoming aware of the site last Thursday.
“The host provider of the site has been contacted as a matter of urgency, and we have referred this site to both the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission and the Australian Communications and Media Authority so that the appropriate regulatory bodies are fully aware of the situation and may undertake any investigation, compliance, or enforcement action deemed necessary.”
Independent senator David Pocock said the site was another example of why Australia needed a national gambling regulator.
“The Murphy review [the inquiry into gambling harm chaired by the late federal MP Peta Murphy] recommended a national regulator to stop things like [this] from happening, and to be nimble enough to pull down gambling sites that seek to profit off our children,” Pocock said.
“Gambling has become so normalised in Australia, particularly among young people, that I hear from teachers that they are seeing their students place bets, not just talking about placing bets, on their favourite sport.
“We need to break the nexus between gambling and sport in Australia, and remember why it is that we love the games that we follow.”
Murphy’s 2023 report made 31 recommendations including banning all gambling ads and appointing a national regulator.
The federal government tabled its response to the report last month, and of the 31 recommendations, only a handful were considered.
“Unfortunately, the prime minister is putting forward a proposal for a more patchy ban that will still leave ads in place during half-time during Friday night footy,” Pocock said.
The website’s hosting service, Synergy Wholesale, has been contacted for comment.
A spokesman for federal Communications Minister Anika Wells said the ACMA had the power to restrict access to illegal gambling websites, and that the government was working to strengthen the authority’s powers.
The proposed reforms are to go to consultation and, if adopted, would boost enforcement against illegal offshore gambling providers and have banks block transactions so “if people get to a website, they can’t place a bet”, the spokesman said.
He said the reforms would minimise children’s exposure to the harms of wagering advertising, break the link between sports and wagering and reduce the saturation and targeting of wagering advertising.
The spokesman said in order to protect people streaming online, providers had to give an opt-out option for people who don’t want to see gambling advertising.
More to come
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Nicole Precel is an education reporter at The Age. She was previously an audio video producer. She is also a documentary maker. Get in touch at nicole.precel@theage.com.auConnect via X, Facebook or email.From our partners
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