Boomers continue to love the game, not the odds

The Deakin Melbourne Boomers and the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation are partnering for a third consecutive season.

The Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation and the Boomers will continue to grow women’s basketball in Melbourne, with a focus on the sport and not the odds.

The Foundation’s Love the Game program interrupts the normalisation of betting on sport, and focuses instead on helping young people experience the positive impact of sport without the negative impact of gambling.

Both the Boomers and the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation want to help grow women’s sport in Melbourne. They are committed to doing this without promoting gambling within the sport.

Deakin Melbourne Boomers General Manager Christy Collier-Hill said that Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation aligned with what the Boomers stood for.

‘One of our core values is profiling positive role models for people of all ages, so it’s really important to us to set a positive example for the next generation and help juniors understand that betting and sport don’t have to go together.’

‘The Boomers are proud to be a driving force behind growing women’s basketball significantly in Melbourne, however we don’t want to grow gambling in the sport at the same time.’

It’s an issue that Boomers players are also passionate about, including Olympian Cayla George, who is currently at the Tokyo Olympics.

‘I love inspiring more young girls to play basketball and follow in my footsteps. When I was a junior gambling wasn’t a part of the league and I want it to stay that way for the next generation of players.’

Foundation CEO Shane Lucas noted that the Boomers is one of more than 500 elite and community clubs across Victoria now saying no to sports betting sponsorship.

‘The leadership demonstrated by the Boomers on a range of public health-related issues is highly regarded across the community and has created strong, positive female role models for basketball fans, and others, both on and off the court.

‘Our ongoing partnership ensures that more young people will have the opportunity to learn about the value of sport without the distraction of sports betting – to love the game, not the odds,’ Mr Lucas said.