People who think of Australia measure its beauty by the Sydney Opera House, koalas, and kangaroos. The Sydney Opera House is one of the most iconic landmarks in Australia. It marks the entrance to Sydney Harbour. But, recently, a feud has been brewing between gambling companies and everyday Aussies. The gambling companies want to advertise on the venue and Australians think this would ruin the look of the landmark. The minor squabble has led to a national debate over advertising in gambling.
The Sydney Opera House
Planning for the Opera House began in the 1940s. The music director in New South Wales wanted a place where he could conduct large-scale performances. The country had a worldwide design contest in 1955 and received 233 entries from 32 countries. The winning design incorporated many different elements of design and performance. The winning design was by a Danish architect. His design reflected Australia’s history with the ocean. It won a worldwide award. Many people widely consider the Opera House to be one of the most beautifully designed buildings of the 20th century. There are more than 1,500 performances staged inside it every year.
Advertising on the Opera House
Because the Opera House’s exterior is made of white tile, it is easy to project images on it. The Opera House has projected many different kinds of displays over the years. Some displays included the colors of Australia’s flag, the Olympic rings, and advertisements for various productions the Opera House was holding. However, the Opera House was recently used to advertise the Everest Cup, a horse race with a huge prize pool for $9.2 million. This use of the beauty of the Opera House to advertise gambling has created an uproar. The country itself has been in the midst of a controversial discussion about gambling. The amount of gambling available in the country has alarmed many Australians. They are also shocked at the amount of money Australians lose at gambling.
The Debate over Gaming
Recent research on gambling has sparked debates by Australians about the pervasiveness of gambling in the country. Gambling is a multibillion-dollar industry Down Under. Australians lose more money per person than any other nation in the world. The people of Australia lost an average of $1,000 for every man, woman, and child. This figure is nearly double the amount of money lost by its closest competitor. Singaporeans lost $650 a person gambling, which was the next highest amount.
Many experts have raised the question whether gambling would be less prevalent in the country if companies advertised it less. The gambling industry spends millions of dollars each year on advertising for casinos and sportsbooks throughout the country. Government officials recently banned the gambling industry from advertising its products during live sports on television. There have also been calls to ban sponsorships of sports teams by gambling companies. The belief has been that if there is less advertising, people will be less tempted to gamble.
For many Australians, the Sydney Opera House is a sacred part of the national landscape. They believe the building should restrict the advertising that appears on it. Australians want the Opera House to display the flag on the holidays, as well as advertise upcoming programs. However, they do not want companies to project gambling ads, or other advertisements for that matter, on the Opera House. However, the Sydney Opera House has noted that it can project whatever it wants on its exterior. It’s unclear whether the Opera House will be able to continue to accept advertising and project it on its exterior.
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