NOV 20, 2008
Centrebet Tells Jets: Play With The Shirt Off Your Back!
Leading Australasian bookmaker Centrebet - the first wagering firm to take on a major shirtfront sponsorship in
main-fire Australian sport - is advising the Newcastle Jets to take the field against the Phoenix in Wellington this
Sunday bare-skinned in the face of the NZ anti-gambling sponsorship law fiasco!
Centrebet media chief and former A-League commentator Neil Evans says a stance must be taken against such
"anti-progressive and dinosaur-like regulations" that should not apply when major Australian sporting clubs regularly
play on NZ soil, and most Kiwi teams participate in Australian-governed competition!
"Both Newcastle strips are plastered with Centrebet, and a replacement strip cannot be found in time, even if we wanted
to. The NZ government must grant special dispensation. otherwise, I would recommend the Jets take the field in
bare-skin. It would be the first 'shirts v skins' match in football history!
"The Jets have spent four years of hard work building up the region's football following. crowned with its first
A-League title earlier this year," Evans said. "We went into a major commercial partnership with the Jets because we
believe they're a club that stands for hard-working values. We'd like to be in a position to financially support more
mainstream Australian teams in Trans-Tasman competition, as well as tip much-needed sponsorship money into NZ sport.
"Given all the relaxing of anti-advertising and anti-promotional laws around Australia in the last few months, I can't
believe such a regulation is still gathering dust at the NZ office of Gaming Compliance.
Evans said such wagering laws could severely dampen future sponsorship deals among Australian-based clubs playing in NZ,
as well as prevent Centrebet tipping vitally-needed revenue streams into mainstream Kiwi sport!
"Common sense should prevail among Kiwi regulators, otherwise the Jets really will be playing with the shirt off their
back!"
Ironically, the controversy has not installed optimism inside Centrebet walls, with the bookmaker opening the Jets a
$3.50 otusider against $2.00 favourite Wellington! The Draw is quoted at $3.30!
ends