Australian operators supply illegal substances to their VIP clients for free

Luke Bateman, a former rugby league player and current blogger, testified during a parliamentary inquiry in Australia that representatives of the gambling industry provided VIP clients with alcohol, dr*gs, and other perks without taking any responsibility for their well-being.

According to Bateman, at the age of 23, he attended private events hosted by betting companies, where executives and VIP managers allegedly used dr*gs alongside clients. He also claims that managers regularly offered personalized bonus bets and paid for travel, lodging, entertainment, and other perks to encourage gambling.

The former athlete said that, despite an annual income of about $400,000, his gambling addiction led him to accumulate over $250,000 in debt and lose a total of about $1 million. According to him, gambling companies provided no support to people with addictions and were interested only in increasing betting volumes.

During the hearings, activist Tim Costello also stated that certain large gambling operators allegedly offered problem gamblers free lodging, bonus bets, escort services, and dr*gs to keep them active. According to him, one such client placed bets totaling tens of millions of dollars every month.

The hearings are taking place amid discussions of new restrictions on gambling advertising proposed by the Australian government. The bill calls for reducing the amount of betting advertising on television and banning its broadcast during live sports matches.

However, critics consider the proposed changes insufficient and are calling on the government to implement much stricter restrictions, including a complete ban on certain advertising practices and VIP programs, which, in their view, contribute to the development of gambling addiction.