Ex-NRL Star Luke Bateman Reveals Dark Side of Gambling Industry

Luke Bateman, a former NRL player, has shared his first-hand account of the seedy underbelly of high-stakes gambling. He testified before an inquiry in Australia, offering insights into the morally dubious culture that surrounds licensed sports gambling companies when it comes to their VIP customers.

Bateman, who earned $400,000 while gambling but lost $250,000, leaving him with almost no money, witnessed senior figures of a gambling company taking illicit drugs with clients at an event. He mentioned that VIP managers would ask clients what drugs they wanted for events. Bateman witnessed a gambling company’s entire staff doing drugs in the back room at a Gold Coast event.

Bateman was targeted by personalized betting promotions. He was also a willing participant in some of these events, but argued that people in power should also be looking out for your best interest and not coax you into and normalizing the activities. Tim Costello, a prominent anti-gambling advocate, corroborated Bateman’s accounts, stating that gambling companies offer escorts, drugs, and bonuses to stimulate certain gamblers.