How Sportsbet is Celebrating Pride This Year

At Sportsbet, we champion the acceptance and visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and intersex in making our workplace a safe space for all, regardless of sexual orientation. 

We also know that acceptance of our LGBTQIA+ global team members might vary, depending on where they live in the world. So, we align with our parent company, Flutter Entertainment Plc , and their commitment to: 

• help to remove barriers worldwide 
• create better experiences and a safe environment at work where everyone feels empowered to express themselves. 

Today, we hear from Leilana Stone , Customer Service Advisor, who shares her experience of Pride at Sportsbet : 

Tell us about yourself and your role at Sportsbet. 

I currently work as a phone betting and customer service agent in the amazing Darwin office! Every day I get to talk to new people, get the satisfaction of helping them and making their day better than it started. Outside of work I'm a dancer and self-proclaimed hot chocolate connoisseur. When I joined Sportsbet I was overwhelmed by the support there was for PRIDE and the queer community, as a Bi woman myself this is the first time, I felt like I was being accepted and allowed to be who I was rather than feeling like I was just a diversity hire or like I was being profited off.. 

What is International Pride Month? 

International Pride Month, often referred to simply as Pride Month, is a month-long celebration observed globally in June to honour the LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, and others) community. It commemorates the Stonewall riots, which occurred in June 1969 in New York City, marking a significant turning point in the LGBTQ+ rights movement. During Pride Month, various events, including parades, marches, workshops, concerts, and parties, are organized to celebrate LGBTQ+ culture and raise awareness about the challenges that LGBTQ+ individuals face worldwide. It's a time for people to come together to promote acceptance, equality, and visibility for the LGBTQ+ community, as well as to advocate for human rights and social justice for all. 

What is the Sportsbet Queer Squad? 

The Sportsbet Queer Squad is Sportsbet's pride network. The Queer Squad is an amazing community that tackle all things queer! It is a community for allies and members of the community to come together and celebrate all things pride and talk about important events and changes that impact the community.

The Queer Squad creates a safe space for people in the LGBTQIA+ community to express themselves and be their authentic self in the workplace. The group achieves this by:  

• holding social meetups, events and networking opportunities   
• celebrating key LGBTQIA+ dates, such as Wear it Purple and IDAHOBIT  
• educating Sportsbettors about their role as allies to support their LGBTQIA+ colleagues  
• supporting and advising Sportsbet on all aspects of LGBTQIA+ inclusion.

I got to join the Queer Squad shortly after joining at Sportsbet and have loved to see it grow with more members and come together to celebrate our wins. The people operating the channel work so hard to find all these amazing events to go to or articles to read even organizing activities for anyone to actively engage in. 

The Queer Squad steering committee meets once a month to discuss what's happening in the LGBTQIA+ space at Sportsbet, plan events, and discuss how to increase education/awareness in this space and achieve our 2024 strategy. 

What are some Pride activities that Sportsbet is celebrating this year? 

Up here in Darwin, for Pride Month, we have opened up volunteering for The Darwin Pride festival. Every year, Sportsbet will open up an expression of interest for Darwin Pride and there are so many things volunteers can do to support the function of the event. Did you know that Sportsbet makes up a large portion of the Darwin Pride volunteers? Along with that, every year for the start of Darwin Pride we get together as a workplace and get as many people as we can to engage in the festivities.

Companywide there are other initiatives such as LGBTQIA+ Awareness & Allyship Training and social events. We also have a dedicated Pride month campaign where we promote LGBTQIA+ inclusion and diversity within the workplace. This includes sharing stories and experiences of LGBTQIA+ employees, as well as organizing events and activities to raise awareness and support for the community. 

Happy International Pride Month!