Three major Australian community football leagues to host themed round 3-4 May 2025, challenging the normalisation of sports betting.

The Victorian Amateur Football Association, Adelaide Footy League and Perth Football League will launch The Real Stakes Round on the weekend of 3-4 May, dedicating the weekend’s games to raise awareness of the real harm that online sports gambling can cause.

During this special round, grassroots community clubs will use match days as a platform to challenge the normalisation of online sports gambling, promote open conversations and connect people with pathways to support.

This initiative comes as Australia faces a gambling crisis, with national annual gambling losses reaching $31.5 billion, the highest per capita in the world.

The round is part of The Real Stakes, a community-led program developed in collaboration with Australia’s largest community-based football leagues. Since launching in February 2025, the program aims to reach more than 40,000 community members across 208 clubs through information sessions, webinars and direct club engagement.

Elevate Strategic CEO Deane Pieters said The Real Stakes Round represents a powerful shift in how grassroots community clubs are addressing one of the most pressing challenges affecting young Australians.

“This round is about prioritising the wellbeing and support of your mates, friends and families,” Mr Pieters said.

“We’re facing a national crisis – Australians are losing more to gambling than anywhere else in the world – and clubs are seeing the impact it’s taking on mental health, relationships and team culture firsthand.

“They’re not turning a blind eye. They’re asking for support and stepping up to be part of the solution.”

Across the weekend, all Perth Football League clubs will be completing a pre-game acknowledgement to raiseawareness of Gambling Based Harm, and all games will be played using Real Stakes branded footballs. The League will also be heavily promoting the key messages of the round across all platforms and the three feature livestream games. 

Recent quantitative studies across the three leagues commissioned as part of program development showed one in three young men felt pressured to gambling by their mates, while 84 per cent of people said they want online sports gambling-related harm openly discussed in their clubs.

Perth Football League chief executive Andrew Dawe said the themed round aims to emphasise that community football should be about mateship, physical wellbeing and the love of the game, not the pressure and anxiety that comes with gambling.

“The Real Stakes Round reflects our commitment to creating healthier club environments where the only stakes that matter are the ones on the field,” Mr Dawe said.

“Our clubs are at the heart of local communities, and we’re proud to use our platform to address an issue affecting so many Western Australian families.”

Program Ambassador and West Coast Eagle Matt Owies said that throughout his football career, he’s seen gambling increasingly influence team culture, changing the way teammates connect and interact with each other. 

“What starts as a bit of fun can quickly spiral into something more serious,” Mr Owies said.

“The Real Stakes Round is about reminding everyone that football is at its best when we are focused on the contest, our teammates and the community around us, not on our phones checking betting odds.”

The public is invited to participate in a series of free online webinars leading up to the round, facilitated and developed by Sports Community, offering practical guidance and resources on recognising, preventing and responding to online sports gambling-related harm.

Webinars will be held on:

• Thursday, 1 May at 7:30pm AWST

• Monday 5 May at 6:00pm AWST 

Registration is available via https://realstakes.com.au/workshops-and-webinars/

The Real Stakes is an Australian Government initiative delivered through a Strong and Resilient Communities (SARC) Activity Grant. This community led program represents a significant step forward in addressing online sports gambling-related harm through community sport.