Tennis fans may notice a few changes at next month’s Australian Open after Tennis Australia (TA) announced it would remove all courtside advertising hoardings for online sportsbook William Hill.
William Hill branding featured prominently at the 2016 Australian Open after the company signed a big money sponsorship deal, but the resulting backlash from anti-gambling groups has resulted in TA bowing to pressure and backtracking on the original deal.
The move to cut gambling advertising has also been linked with recent match-fixing scandals that have afflicted the sport globally, despite the fact that regulated sportsbooks such as William Hill play an integral role in identifying potential betting anomalies.
TA has already pledged to boost its anti-corruption presence in 2017 and will have two officers onsite at the Australian open to keep an eye on any suspicious betting activity.
