The Prince of Wales shared he was quite unhappy about the existing sponsorship deals between gambling operators and football clubs, a pair of grieving parents have shared.
The founders of the Gambling with Lives charity – Liz and Charles Ritchie – both received Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBEs) from Prince Williams at Windsor Castle for their work associated with the establishment of the aforementioned organisation in 2018. The pair lost their son Jack, 24, to death after he committed suicide in 2017 after getting hooked on gambling.
Ms Ritchie shared that Prince William told them that shirt sponsorship deals would be eventually suspended. Furthermore, Mr Ritchie revealed that the Prince of Wales was unhappy that the club he supports – Aston Villa F.C. – has signed a three-year sponsorship agreement with BK8, an Asian online gambling platform. When speaking about Prince William, Mr Ritchie said that the Prince of Wales clearly did not approve of the sponsorship deal.
As Casino Guardian previously reported, in April, English Premier League (EPL) football clubs reached a collective voluntary agreement to no longer display the names and logos of their gambling sponsors on the front of their match shirts. The decision, however, is set to come into effect at the end of the 2025/2026 season.
Thousands of Brits Lose Their Lives to Gambling-Related Suicides
The Ritchies have been among the most avid anti-gambling campaigners in the UK in the last few years, having argued that gambling-related suicide is directly associated with addictive gambling and sports betting products and the foul, predatory marketing practices used by the gambling industry. The pair established their Gambling with Lives foundation in 2018 to support other families and individuals suffering the consequences of gambling-related harm.
For the last five years, Mr and Ms Ritchie have been trying to raise the broader public’s awareness of gambling-related suicide.
The bereaved parents who lost their son to a problem gambling-related suicide have criticised the UK Goverment’s White Paper on gambling that was published in April, saying that the measures that were unveiled as part of the lawmakers’ gambling sector review were “nowhere near” enough to tackle the issues associated with compulsive gambling and gambling-related harm.
The long-awaited White Paper on gambling was published after months of delay amid political turmoil in the UK. It outlined a series of regulatory measures aimed at protecting local consumers from gambling-related harm and making the gambling sector safer, including through the implementation of stricter affordability checks, lower stake limits on online slot machines, etc. British lawmakers, however, have noted that most of the proposals would have to be discussed further as they are subject to further consultation.
Anti-gambling campaigners such as the Ritchies, however, have not been optimistic as far as quick and adequate implementation of the planned changes is concerned. They believe that at least another two years will pass before any of the changes are brought into action, which unfortunately, could result in multiple gambling-related suicides.
- Author
Daniel Williams
