Former cricketer Glenn McGrath dropped as ABC commentator over Bet365 partnership
Former cricket star Glenn McGrath has been dropped from Ashes commentary by Australian broadcaster ABC over his links to Bet365.
McGrath played 124 Test matches for Australia and took over 560 wickets, second only to the late Shane Warne on the lists of all-time greats.
His role on the ABC commentary team had been promoted as recently as last week, however the broadcaster has enforced a strict policy prohibiting staff and contractors from entering into commercial deals with gambling companies.
According to an ABC statement shared with The Guardian, McGrath’s management informed them of an upcoming partnership with Bet365 that was not yet finalized, which resulted in them “mutually parting ways.”
The broadcaster’s statement went on to say it would welcome the opportunity to work with McGrath in the future.
McGrath is not the first former fast bowler to exit the broadcaster over gambling links.
Mitchell Johnson left ABC in 2022 after clashing publicly with the organization over the same policy.
The controversy comes amid growing scrutiny of gambling’s influence on Australian sport. A 2023 parliamentary inquiry found celebrity endorsements can reduce people’s perception of risk. Current Test opener Usman Khawaja has criticized the federal government for being too slow to restrict gambling advertising.
In its efforts to restrict gambling advertisements, the Australian Communications and Media Authority has begun an investigation into Disney+ to see whether it breaches gambling advertising rules during ESPN sports broadcasts.
Charlotte Capewell brings her passion for storytelling and expertise in writing, researching, and the gambling industry to every article she writes. Her specialties include the US gambling industry, regulator legislation, igaming, and more.
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The Backstory
Why ABC drew the line now
Australian Broadcasting Corp.’s call to drop a high-profile cricket voice over prospective ties to a bookmaker did not emerge in isolation. The public broadcaster has enforced a strict policy that bars staff and contractors from commercial relationships with wagering firms, and that stance has hardened as gambling’s presence in sport becomes both more lucrative and more contentious. The fallout underscores how a national media outlet weighing editorial integrity and community standards can clash with sports celebrities seeking commercial partnerships in a market where betting advertising and sponsorship have become routine.
The timing also reflects shifting political and regulatory winds. A 2023 parliamentary inquiry concluded that celebrity endorsements can blunt risk perception around wagering, adding pressure on media and leagues to rethink how they platform betting. Regulators have moved as well: the Australian Communications and Media Authority has opened probes into potential breaches of gambling advertising rules on sports broadcasts, signaling a tougher compliance environment for rights holders and broadcast partners. ABC’s decision lands at the intersection of those forces, making it a flashpoint for broader debates on who sets the guardrails around sport and gambling.
Public health worries and a slow policy grind
Player concerns have amplified the scrutiny. Test opener Usman Khawaja has been among the most prominent critics of the status quo, arguing the government has been “100% too slow” to curb pervasive marketing that links fandom with wagering. His call for an immediate ad ban, delivered in meetings with lawmakers and health experts in Canberra, framed gambling normalization as a risk to minors and young athletes who are encountering live odds as part of routine sports consumption. That campaign, captured in coverage of Khawaja’s push to accelerate a gambling ad ban, has helped keep pressure on a government still negotiating with broadcasters, codes and bookmakers over the shape of any restrictions.
The legislative path remains messy. A bipartisan report led by the late Labor MP Peta Murphy proposed a phaseout of gambling ads over three years, but pre-election efforts stalled amid resistance from media companies reliant on advertising revenue and from sporting bodies with sponsorship exposure. Communications Minister Annika Wells has restarted talks, with legislation expected by year’s end. Until then, institutions like ABC are drawing their own lines to manage perceived conflicts and reputational risk around on-air talent with wagering deals.
Leagues and operators keep expanding the betting pitch
Even as policymakers debate limits, major sports properties continue to court betting partners to boost engagement and revenue. Global sailing series SailGP struck a tie-up with DraftKings and Bet365 that brings live wagering markets to regattas as early as New York, touting data-rich, real-time odds and a format built for in-venue and second-screen betting. The league framed the move as core to fan growth, with executives saying competitive parity makes wagering compelling week to week. Details of that expansion are outlined in SailGP’s betting partnership announcement.
North American teams are moving in parallel. Major League Baseball’s St. Louis Cardinals signed a multi-year sponsorship that positions Bet365 as the club’s first mobile sports betting partner ahead of Missouri’s expected market launch in the second half of 2025. The deal grants prominent in-stadium signage, broadcast integrations and digital placements, setting the table for activation once regulators finalize rules. The agreement, described in the Cardinals-Bet365 partnership report, highlights how teams are building inventory now to capture demand at go-live.
These strategies show the divergence between jurisdictions: while Australia weighs tighter ad rules and broadcasters take a conservative posture on talent endorsements, U.S. teams and international leagues are embedding sportsbooks into the fan experience to deepen engagement and diversify income streams.
Bet365’s U.S. strategy gathers pace
For Bet365, the media and policy crosscurrents in Australia arrive as the U.K.-headquartered operator accelerates its North American push. The company recently extended its content slate in New Jersey through a tie-up with developer Wazdan, adding titles like 36 Coins Grand Gold Edition and Sizzling Eggs alongside retention tools such as Cash Infinity and Hold the Jackpot. The companies framed the launch as part of a broader collaboration that spans Ontario, Greece, Bulgaria and the U.K., and a step in Bet365’s continued expansion in regulated U.S. markets. That move is detailed in coverage of Wazdan’s New Jersey rollout on Bet365.
The operator’s brand-building via team sponsorships, exemplified by the Cardinals deal, complements its product expansion in a state-by-state regulatory landscape. Reports that Bet365 has considered strategic options amid a shift out of China have sparked speculation about positioning for the U.S., where scale, data partnerships and media visibility shape competitive advantage. While those corporate deliberations remain fluid, the company’s recent partnerships suggest a two-track approach: deepen content and market access while securing prominent sports affiliations ahead of new state launches.
Enforcement actions in India raise endorsement risks
The backlash to gambling’s spread is not confined to advertising. In India, a crackdown on online betting platforms has drawn former players into a wide-ranging money laundering probe, spotlighting the legal and reputational risks of endorsements. Former international Yuvraj Singh appeared before the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the 1xBet investigation, which spans alleged money laundering, tax evasion and fraud involving promotions that reached millions of consumers. Authorities have questioned influencers and other cricketers about how they were engaged and paid, and whether they understood the legal status of online gaming at the time, according to reporting on Singh’s ED appearance.
The probe comes after India moved to curb most igaming platforms, citing billions in annual consumer losses. For athletes, the episode illustrates a growing due-diligence burden: contracts and communications can become evidence, and promotional income may be scrutinized as potential proceeds of crime. That enforcement posture, though jurisdiction-specific, echoes concerns in other markets about how star power can normalize risky products and what responsibilities talent and their employers bear.
What it signals for media, athletes and fans
ABC’s decision reflects a recalibration underway across the sports-media economy. Broadcasters are starting to codify lines on gambling relationships to manage conflicts of interest and public trust as governments weigh tighter rules, even as leagues and operators build betting into the fan journey elsewhere. Athletes who straddle those worlds face tougher choices: commercial opportunities are expanding in some markets but carry higher compliance and reputational costs in others.
With Australia’s legislative process still in motion, the practical impact will be uneven. Public broadcasters and some rights holders may harden internal guardrails, while private media and teams continue to test integrations with wagering partners. For fans, the experience will diverge by platform and code. Whether that fragmentation solidifies into a new equilibrium or pushes policymakers toward a more uniform framework will set the tone for how sport, betting and broadcast coexist in the next phase.
