The powerful gambling and racing industries use a variety of tools to manipulate public perception, obscure the harm they do, and capture politicians.
Three enabling firms have recently been in the news: Dentsu, Apollo Communications, and JPG Advisory.
These are part of a gambling/racing system that results in cruelty to and the killing of dogs, and contributes to 400 gambling-related suicides every year.
Dentsu: media planning and buying for Tabcorp
Tabcorp recently selected global agency Dentsu for its media planning and buying.
Tabcorp is the “largest Australian owned racing, sports and wagering entertainment company.” Its Sky Racing brand broadcasts more than 150,000 live horse and dog races annually.
Tabcorp is aiming to “deliver more personalised communications and experiences for our customers.”
https://thestraight.com.au/tabcorp-appoints-dentsu-to-lead-media-strategy/
Apollo Communications: PR for Greyhound Racing NSW
Earlier this year Mark Latham MP made the following comment at NSW Budget Estimates:
“The Hon. MARK LATHAM: Are you aware of Greyhound Racing NSW wasting money on the Apollo Communications consultancy headed by Adam Connolly, the partner of the Leader of the Opposition—and that’s just by the way.”
Apollo Communications says it is a “strategic advisory firm working at the intersection of policy, capital and corporate leadership.”
Connolly says the world is “increasingly plagued by misinformation from activists and other powerful forces”. [see below re JPG Advisory]
Underlining the cynicism of corporate PR, the firm notes that Apollo was “the God of truth, knowledge and light”.
https://apollocommunications.com.au/
Connolly’s partner is Kellie Sloane, leader of the opposition in NSW and leader of the NSW Liberal Party. On Sloane’s web page, her Golden Retriever, Teddy, is described as her “Community Relations Manager”.
https://kelliesloane.com.au/news/new-doggie-bag-dispenser-at-seven-ways
JPG Advisory: lobbying for Greyhound Racing NSW
One of the clients of lobbying firm JPG Advisory is GRNSW.
The firm’s owner, Jeremy Greenwood, is a “person of interest” in the current Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) corruption investigation known as Operation Rosny.
GRNSW was also listed as a client of Greenwood’s previous lobbyist firm Beckington, before they were removed when being scrutinised in 2023.
Greenwood and others were described by the Sydney Morning Herald as “Liberal Party activists” linked to a hard-right factional group called the NSW Reformers. The group aimed to expand conservative and Christian membership via branch stacking and push conservative policies on issues like abortion and climate change.
Curiously, other people mentioned in the ICAC inquiry also have connections to GRNSW:
Robert Assaf: an ICAC person of interest, Assaf was formerly communications manager for Catholic Schools NSW, and later became the head of corporate affairs at Greyhound Racing NSW. He’s no longer there.
Wade McInerney: Catholic Schools NSW boss Dallas McInerney is a person of interest in the ICAC inquiry. His brother Wade worked for Liberal Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells for five years, before joining Assaf at Greyhounds NSW.
The Sydney Morning Herald writes that Fierravanti-Wells said in a 2022 speech: “She moved on to Wade McInerney. ‘Following his departure to work for Robert Assaf at Greyhound Racing NSW, I discovered he was engaged in inappropriate conduct and activities,’ Fierravanti-Wells told parliament. ‘I was duty-bound to refer him to the Australian Federal Police, the Department of Finance and the Australian Government Security Vetting Agency’.”
The SMH continues: “Wade McInerney said he was not contacted by any of the agencies and after making his own inquiries, does not believe any referrals were made. ‘I took it as a massive spray under privilege to damage reputations, me amongst many in that speech,’ Wade McInerney said.”
Wade McInerney is mentioned as working for GRNSW in Budget Estimates in February 2026.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/icac-operation-rosny-live-updates-liberal-party-lobbyist-jeremy-greenwood-to-appear-as-investigation-enters-third-week-20260809-p60msc.html