Peter V’landys, the high-profile Racing NSW boss and NRL chairman, says the average punt on an NRL game is just $16 and a proposal to ban bookies giving free bets would make punters lose more of their own money.

Mr V’landys doubled down on past claims that racing and sports betting are less harmful than lotteries, and said while some gambling ads could be curtailed, the recommendations of a recent parliamentary inquiry into gambling were driven by ideology not facts.