Campaigners approached UK Prime Minister yesterday, with a letter calling for him to put an end to gambling sponsorship deals in football. According to the individuals, who are members of charity organisations Gambling with Lives and The Big Step, the relationship between football and gambling has reached what they called “saturation point” and more serious measures need to be taken in order to protect sports fans from being affected by gambling-related harm.
Research into the gambling sponsorship agreements in British football in the summer of 2019 revealed that a total of 27 football clubs in the UK have a gambling operator as their main shirt sponsor. This is the highest-ever total of gambling sponsorship deals in the top two divisions.
As revealed by the research, a total of 17 of the 24 Championship clubs have a gambling company as one of their main shirt sponsors. The number represents 71% of the clubs that currently play in the Championship.
The letter prepared by campaigners for Prime Minister Boris Johnson was planned as the final phase of The Big Step’s promotional campaign journey to Downing Street, which involved walking past five London clubs that have inked shirt sponsorship agreements with gambling operators.
Campaigners Want Gambling Out of Professional Football
Both anti-gambling groups have been among the most eager campaigners against the extremely increased presence of gambling in professional sports, and especially football. They insist that a complete ban on gambling logos on football kits, suspension of in-stadia advertising and in perimeters in close proximity to the pitch.
In the letter to Prime Minister Johnson, campaigners shared their belief there would be considerable support for a ban to be imposed on sponsorship deals between gambling companies and professional football clubs. Campaigners further noted that, according to a recent survey that had been carried out by the Football Supporters’ Association, only 13% of football fans would be glad to have their club sponsored by a betting company.
Campaigners also used their letter to the UK Prime Minister to share their deepest concerns that young football fans are among the individuals who are exposed at the most severe risks of addiction as the increased presence of gambling in football is making the activity look normal. The letter contradicts to the English Football League (EFL) survey from 2019 which claimed that the majority of EFL fans (more than 70%) were comfortable with gambling sponsorships.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Betting and Gaming Council, Michael Dugher, responded to the letter, saying that the new standards body of the gambling industry takes their responsibility to protect all people at risk, including underage and vulnerable ones from being affected by gambling-related harm.
Mr Dugher reminded that the BGC members have already unveiled the so-called “whistle-to-whistle ban” on gambling advertising during live sports events and have also boosted the funding for research, education and treatment. Apart from that, new and stricter ID and age-verification checks were implemented to make sure vulnerable individuals would not be negatively affected by gambling.
- Author
Daniel Williams
