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.
The university has announced its Centre of Excellence in Gambling Research will be funded by a $600,000 investment from the International Centre for Responsible Gaming, which the university has described as “a global leader in research and education on gambling disorder and responsible gambling”.
The ICRG’s major funders are some of the world’s biggest casino and gambling companies. They include MGM Resorts International, Caesars Foundation, Bally’s Corporation, Sands Inc, Wynn Resorts, Boyd Gaming Corporation, DraftKings, FanDuel, poker machine company IGT and many other entities. Its board of directors includes executives from US-based casino resorts.
The centre is also financially supported by Australian wagering giant Sportsbet, which is owned by Dublin-based company Flutter, and Entain, which runs the Ladbrokes and Neds brands in Australia.
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”.
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.
“This is institutional capture and we should call it out for what it is. It is a threat to the reputation the University of Sydney has developed over the years for the independence and quality of its research.”
The independent MP Monique Ryan said the money was returned to remove any perceived conflict of interest that “weakens the reputation of the university’s Centre of Excellence in Gambling Research.”
“As a doctor on the standing committee looking after health, I am on high alert whenever I see an industry use the dark arts – lobbying, political donations or industry-funded research – in a way that advantages itself at the expense of public health,” Ryan said.
“No one would be happy if the University of Sydney accepted half a million dollars from the tobacco industry, and we should apply that same standard to the gambling industry.”
The independent MP Rebekha Sharkie, who is the co-convener of the Parliamentary Friends of Gambling Harm Reduction group, said the funding arrangement was “utterly appalling” and money should have been sourced elsewhere.
The independent MP Andrew Wilkie said the funding arrangement “should be overturned by the university immediately”.
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“Frankly the idea that such funding doesn’t discredit research is undiluted bullshit,” Wilkie said.
“I’d sooner believe that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is democratic than believe that the University of Sydney’s Centre of Excellence in Gambling Research is going to be excellent.”
Independent Sophie Scamps, a former GP, said: “If Sydney University wants to retain its reputation as a serious scientific research institution it must not allow itself to be bought off by the gambling industry.”
A university spokesperson said it was “acutely aware of the need to avoid conflicts of interest” and stressed “all research has approval from the Human Research Ethics Committee, which includes consideration of the impact of the research”.
“Government research grants rarely cover the full cost of research and alternative funding sources are required,” the spokesperson said.
“Despite substantial income from gambling and the harms associated with it, there is minimal funding for research to inform safer gambling policies. Partnering with external commercial partners also ensures that research is implementation-ready and relevant to national policy and practice.
“Our research integrity is essential to our success and reputation. Relevant regulators are consulted regularly and are aware of the project. We also adhere to a strict policy of academic research ethics and integrity with all research conducted in line with our own policies and procedures and regulatory requirements.”
The federal education minister, Jason Clare, said the university was an independent body, but referenced the need to comply with all research and ethical requirements.