MPs call for university to return gambling research money

The University of Sydney’s reputation has been tarnished by its partnership with Australia’s biggest sports gambling companies, according to multiple federal MPs who want hundreds of thousands of dollars to be immediately returned to bookmakers, writes Henry Belot for The Guardian.

The university has announced its Centre of Excellence in Gambling Research will be funded by a US$600,000 investment from the International Center for Responsible Gaming, which the university has described as “a global leader in research and education on gambling disorder and responsible gambling”.

The university has defended the sponsorship and a spokesperson said the partnership would deliver more useful research informed by de-identified data supplied by gambling companies. They also said bookmakers would not be given any opportunity to “constrain or edit the research in any way”. However, the independent MP Zoe Daniel, who called for a ban on gambling advertisements before a parliamentary inquiry recommended it, said the partnership was “tone deaf” given community sentiment about harms caused by the wagering industry.
Full report on The Guardian site