Gambling companies should be banned from sponsoring football shirts by government reform

Gambling companies should be banned from advertising as shirt front sponsors as part of new government reform to tackle problem gambling in sports

Gambling companies should be banned from sponsoring football shirts after a review of current guidelines.

A white paper is due for release this winter and nine Premier League clubs currently have a gaming company on their shirts, it has been revealed.

This would be seen as an important step in continuing efforts to tackle problem gambling.

Another ban on gambling advertising and television commercials is also under consideration, but it is believed to be less likely to pass.

In addition to nine teams in the Premier League, six more in the league have gaming companies on their jerseys as part of offers estimated to be worth £ 100million.

All but one Premier League club and 15 league teams partner with betting companies in one way or another.

However, such deals could be allowed as MPs want to protect the finances of the poorest clubs in the football pyramid.

A source close to the review told the Online Mail : “We’re pretty sure there’s going to be an end to the front shirt ad.

“Everyone expects it. Reformers want more, but many politicians worry about the lower leagues.

“The government thinks the front of the shirt will make the headlines and it will feel like it has made a bold statement.”

The review was launched by the Department of Digital Culture, Media and Sports (DCMS) in December 2020. It revised the 2005 Gaming Law.

The Gambling Act was introduced before advancements in technology led to an explosion of gambling on mobile applications and gambling companies began to increasingly sponsor the sport.

This has raised concerns about gambling harms and addiction.

In their 2019 manifesto, the Conservatives promised to revise existing gambling legislation to be “fit for the digital age.”

The government’s white paper, a policy document outlining future legislation, is expected to be released in late 2021 or early 2022.

This will be followed by a three-month consultation period before the bill goes to parliament, meaning any changes experienced by sports teams will only come into effect in 2023 at the earliest.

In preparation for the rule change, clubs have accepted shorter-term sponsorship agreements or included termination clauses in contracts.

In the championship, teams are moving away from betting sponsors, with this summer an increase in deals with financial trading companies that are not expected to be affected by the new legislation.

A spokesperson for DCMS said, “We are committed to tackling problem gambling in all its forms and will build on our strong track record of introducing measures to protect those at risk. “

In the recent reshuffle, Chris Philp was appointed as the new Minister of Gambling and is believed to be enthusiastic about reforming gambling laws, as is new Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries.

As ministers agree to ban gambling logos on shirts, a debate is ongoing over the scope of the new legislation.

Some argue that without banning sponsors on the pitch and those on TV, banning jerseys would make no sense.

But in sports, some are worried about the loss of income from such legislation.

Read more

Read more