Public health experts and recovering addicts have criticised Racing NSW chief executive and Australian Rugby League Commission chair, Peter V’landys’, comparison of sports gambling to entertainment as “disgusting” and “out of touch”.

V’landys has repeatedly dismissed criticism of an attempt to cash in a booming US gambling market by opening the 2024 season with two showcase games in the global mecca of gambling, Las Vegas.

“Look, it’s entertainment,” V’landys told 9News before flying to negotiations in Las Vegas. “You don’t gamble to win money, you don’t do it to become rich; you do it to entertain yourself.

“Just like you go to a restaurant and you buy a meal – that’s entertainment. As long as you’re responsible with what you’re spending with that entertainment, it’s no different to anything else.”

Tasmanian man Mark Kempster – who lost about $100,000 to sports betting and unsuccessfully tried to quit about 50 times over seven years – said V’landys’ comments were offensive and failed to acknowledge the harm inflicted by the gambling industry.

“For him to suggest it is no different to going out for a meal is disgusting,” Kempster said. “I know from my own first-hand experience how hard the gambling industry makes it to break the gambling cycle. It is so far from entertainment for most.”

Kempster, who accessed his superannuation to pay off credit card debts from sports betting, was sent wagering promotions last year despite being on an industry self-exclusion list, banning him from being contacted.

“It is astounding someone of his standing in sport in Australia can continue to comment on such significant social issues when he clearly has zero understanding of the issue,” Kempster said.

Prof Samantha Thomas, a gambling and public health expert at Deakin University, said V’landys’ comments were inconsistent with public health evidence.

“Sporting organisations have such an important role to play in promoting the health and social wellbeing of our community, but they continue to have a complete blind spot when it comes to gambling, which is linked to some of our most pressing health and social problems,” Thomas said.

“Major sporting codes have allowed themselves to become vehicles for the promotion and normalisation of gambling. This is not good for sport or for our communities.”

V’landys has previously rejected suggestions he had tied the future of the NRL to gambling revenue and said wagering was “one part of a massive revenue base”, which has grown from $15m to $50m a year.

But Tim Costello, the chief advocate of the alliance for gambling reform, said it was clear V’landys was seeking to strengthen the NRL’s ties to gambling.

“It is appalling that, with gambling doing so much harm in our community, that the head of the NRL seems obsessed with finding new ways to further entrench the league with the gambling industry,” Costello said.

Some market analysts and investors believe the expansion plan, which is still subject to negotiations, could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars in broadcast fees, sponsorship and gambling revenue.

The overseas expansion is supported by many of Australia’s biggest sports gambling companies, although they would not benefit directly.