Experts say ‘disappointing’ relationships with gambling industry, including funding for research, should be scrutinised
The University of Sydney has financial stakes in the world’s biggest poker machine manufacturer and a global sports betting giant, both of which have funded its academics and bankrolled specialist gambling research centres.
Documents obtained under freedom of information laws show the university held shares in Aristocrat, and in Entain, which runs the Ladbrokes and Neds brands, between 2021 and early 2024. Shares may have been held before and after this period, beyond the scope of the FoI.
Entain, which was taken to the federal court this month by Australia’s financial intelligence agency for alleged breaches of anti-money laundering laws, was a foundational sponsor of the university’s centre of excellence in gambling research.
Aristocrat, which has exported poker machines to the world, has also funded gambling research at the university. Its 2023 sustainability report disclosed its support for the university’s gambling treatment and research clinic.
The financial value of these investments is unknown but Aristocrat featured in a “table of largest active Australian equity positions averaged over 12 months” included in the FoI documents. Australian gambling giant Tabcorp topped the list.
The documents show the university also invested in International Game Technology, a London-based company producing poker machines and other gambling products. It also invested in Crown Resorts and the Star Entertainment Group until mid-2022.
A list of the university’s investments, including foreign currencies and international shares, was obtained by the university’s student representative council. The council’s president, Angus Fisher, described the investments as concerning given “the broader societal impacts of gambling and industry’s funding of academic research”.
“This issue is particularly pressing as gambling-related harm disproportionally affects vulnerable communities, and the industry’s role in funding research can lead to perceived or actual conflicts of interest,” Fisher said.
“It is concerning that a university committed to advancing knowledge and social equity may be profiting from an industry that thrives on exploitation and addiction.”
The online gambling inquiry report, released in June 2023, called on the federal government to help “protect public policy and research from gambling industry interference”.
A university spokesperson said it was a “not-for-profit entity and re-invests all available revenue into enhancing research and teaching capabilities”.
“We have strict rules around our investments and in recent years have reviewed our strategies to improve environmentally, socially and financially responsible investment practices,” the spokesperson said.
“It is in all universities’ interests to ensure our research is robust and ethical – our research integrity is essential to our success. We have policies in place to ensure the avoidance and appropriate management of actual, apparent or perceived conflicts of interest by university staff and affiliates.”
There is no suggestion the funding or the university’s investments influenced research conducted by its academics.
Simon Chapman, a retired academic who successfully campaigned for the University for Sydney to no longer accept research funding from tobacco companies, said the investments should be scrutinised.
“Universities cannot continue their research programs without support, but there is obviously controversy when the product is deadly or causes an immense amount of harm,” Chapman said. “Gambling is a case in point … It ought to be something that is debated across the university.”
Tim Costello, the chief advocate for the Alliance for Gambling Reform, said “the reason Australia cannot escape the world’s greatest per capita losses and greatest gambling harm is that even our independent universities, like Sydney, invest in Aristocrat and Entain”.
Prof Samantha Thomas, a public health expert at Deakin University, said the gambling sector should be treated like the tobacco industry, in light of the societal harm it causes.
“The University of Sydney was a leader in tackling the tactics of the tobacco industry, including policies refusing to accept tobacco support,” Thomas said.
“Given the clear recognised harm associated with commercial gambling, it is disappointing to see these relationships with the gambling industry”.
Aristocrat was contacted for comment. It has previously said its funding of the gambling treatment and research clinic was to contribute to a better understanding of gambling harm and how to minimise risk.
Entain has defended its funding of academic research. Last year, an Entain spokesperson criticised research conducted without its involvement.
“There has been a tendency for discussions around the impacts of gambling harm to be led by speculation and emotional rhetoric, which can fuel a misguided or incorrect perception,” a spokesperson told Guardian Australia.
“We would prefer more robust research that leads to fact-based decision making and regulation.”
