The Australian Football League's ability to appropriately control gambling on the sport "is under investigation following the controversial betting on the AFL Rising Star Award," according to Jason Dowling of THE AGE. At stake "is millions of dollars in gambling revenue the AFL is able to demand from bookmakers." The investigation "comes as commentator and former premiership player David King is allegedly being investigated for placing a bet on last year's Rising Star winner, Lewis Taylor." Former Victorian Gaming Minister Tony Robinson "wrote to the Victorian Commission for Gaming and Liquor Regulation in early September, raising questions about the AFL's processes regarding awards betting, particularly confidential information." Robinson wrote that while the AFL rules banned the leaking of sensitive team selection information, there "were no similar rules for AFL awards and betting." Matt Sheens, manager of risk and intelligence compliance at the gambling commission, responded to Robinson on Feb. 16 and said while its investigation of the AFL Rising Star Award did not "identify a breach of the Gambling Regulation Act 2003, it did highlight an area of regulatory concern for the Commission." As a result of this, the Commission will be conducting "further enquiries into the AFL's ongoing suitability as a Sports Controlling Body." Should the AFL lose its status as a sports controlling body it "would lose the legal right to demand money from bookmakers taking bets on AFL matches and all forms of legal betting on AFL matches and awards, currently running into tens of millions of dollars, would be in jeopardy." A spokesperson for the AFL said, "the AFL is currently completing a routine VCGLR review of its integrity processes and policies" (THE AGE, 2/22).
