The Jets have been granted special government permission to wear an away strip with the outlawed Centrebet advertising.

New Zealand law bans the advertising of overseas gambling companies within NZ, meaning Jets Centrebet sponsorship shoudl be illegal.

But the NZ government has lifted the ban provising the Jets create a special sponsor-free version of their kit for the next away game in NZ in January.

The club said today: "Newcastle Jets have this afternoon received notification from the New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs that an undertaking by the club has been accepted.

"The team will wear the current embellished away strip when they play Wellington Phoenix this Sunday, 23 November.

"This arrangement comes with the condition that Centrebet be removed from the players’ jerseys prior to the Jets’ next game in New Zealand, currently scheduled for January 4, 2009 at Westpac Stadium."

Gambling Compliance Director Mike Hill added: "Given their undertakings to rectify the situation before January’s return game and to avoid displaying the betting agency’s logo during any televised match interviews, we are confining our action in this instance to one of education and persuasion.”

Newcastle Jets CEO John Tsatsimas welcomed the peace deal and said: “Obviously we are pleased with the outcome.

“We are grateful that they have understood our situation, and we will of course undertake a process of due diligence to ensure that we abide by their conditions.

"A new kit that is clean of sponsorship embellishment will be arranged before our next encounter in New Zealand next January.”
“This is, of course, the most suitable and appropriate outcome to the present situation, and our club is certainly appreciative that we can now move on from this issue and look forward to the game at hand,” Mr. Tsatsimas said.