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Gambling Advertising in the Premier League

Have you ever wondered why some football clubs wear jerseys branded with certain gambling brands? If you watch Premier League games regularly, you'd have noticed that some clubs have gambling brands as their shirt sponsors, either on the sleeves or in front of the shirt.

Well, according to casinojungle.ca/betting-sites/, the gambling industry is worth several billions, and sportsbook operators aim to promote sales through advertisements and sponsorships. Football is currently the most popular sport, with over 3.5 billion fans worldwide, making it one of the best platforms for promotion. These gambling operators pay the club a certain amount of money to display their brand on their shirts, pitchside boards and even in commercials.

The sponsorship deals between betting brands and Premier League clubs are common because of how closely linked it is to football. Several fans even add to the matchday thrill by placing bets on their favourite UK sportsbook sites. However, with recent events, there are new rules for gambling regulations in the Premier League. Let's discuss the influence of gambling advertising in the English Premier League.

The Effect of Gambling Adverts

The introduction of the Gambling Act 2005 allowed gambling operators to advertise across several media platforms in the UK. Since then, the industry has grown significantly from over £328 million in 2018 to about £14.7 billion in 2023, with an increasing number of gamblers and total revenue from the gambling industry. Recent studies have proven a sudden increase in the net spending of gambling operators for online and social media adverts.

Statistics have shown that football fans were spammed with over 11,000 gambling messages on the opening weekend of the 2023/24 Premier League season from several sources, ranging from social media content to shirt logos, pitchside boards and commercial breaks. The same study also proved an unhealthy display of gambling ads during the first game of the same season - 34 million views from 1,902 ads. Less than one-fifth of these gambling ads were accompanied by a message promoting responsible gambling.

The Premier League Ban on Gambling Ads and Sponsorships

Currently, there are only 8 clubs out of 20 that have gambling shirt-front sponsors in the English Premier League: Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Brentford, Burnley, Everton, Fulham, Nottingham Forest and West Ham. These sponsorship deals are worth over £60 million annually. However, you're about to see some changes soon.

According to a Premier League official statement, "Premier League clubs have today collectively agreed to withdraw gambling sponsorship from the front of clubs' matchday shirts, becoming the first sports league in the UK to take such a measure voluntarily to reduce gambling advertising."

The Premier League, alongside its clubs and the UK Government, has agreed to ban all matchday front shirt gambling sponsorships from the start of the 2026/27 season. All current deals are still valid for the next 2 years, and member clubs can either renew or secure new front-shirt sponsorship deals until the ban takes effect. However, gambling brands can still advertise on shirt sleeves and pitch side boards after the 2025/26 season.

The Reason for the Ban

Gambling ads act as a trigger for even footballers who promote the activity. Ivan Toney, Brentford FC and England striker, recently completed an 8-month ban for violating gambling rules, during which he openly spoke about his gambling addiction. Michael Chopra, a former Newcastle United and Cardiff City player, recently disclosed how his exposure to betting sponsorships aggravated his addiction. According to him, looking at another player sitting across from him in the dressing room triggered an addiction. Newcastle also recently handed Sandro Tonali a 10-month ban after investigations proved he violated the Italian gambling regulations before his transfer to the English club.

The unanimous decision to ban all front-shirt sponsors raised concerns about how children and teenagers are exposed to gambling. Carolyn Harris of the Gambling-Related Harms All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) believes that gambling sponsorship in all sports should be illegal because it normalizes gambling for children. This campaign is supported by recovering gambling addicts and the families of those whose gambling addiction played a major role in the loss of their lives.

The Pros and Cons of Gambling Adverts

While some may say that gambling has done more harm than good to society, others may disagree. So, let's examine the positive and negative effects of gambling adverts.

Pros

  1. Revenue Generation: Gambling brands offer their partner clubs a reasonable amount of money for sponsorship deals, contributing to their financial status. The club can then invest in better players, facilities and infrastructure.
  2. Publicity: The primary aim of gambling ads and sponsorships is to increase viewer engagement and convert sales. This also boosts the revenue for broadcasting companies.
  3. Ultimate Fan Experience: What's more thrilling than watching your favourite football club play during the weekend? Betting on them creates the ultimate emotional experience.

Cons

  1. Normalization of Gambling: Excessive exposure to gambling adverts and sponsorships may normalize gambling behaviour among viewers, including minors, potentially leading to gambling addiction and associated social problems. This may include depression, bankruptcy or even loss of life.
  2. Corruption: Football and gambling are almost inseparable, and this increases the risk of match-fixing among players, officials, and clubs that are influenced by gambling interests.
  3. Negative Public Perception: Some fans and stakeholders see gambling adverts as a means of exploiting football for commercial gain, tarnishing the integrity and spirit of the sport.

Conclusion

Today, football is more than just a sport; it's also a business and those tasked with overseeing the smooth operations of a club need to generate revenue via sponsorship deals. However, the unanimous decision of the EPL clubs to ban gambling shirt sponsorship is an interesting move to strike a balance between commercial interests and the integrity of the sport.

The clubs that benefit from these deals will seek other non-betting brands to partner with for revenue generation. Whatever the outcome may be, it's a testament that the UK Government is actively working to regulate gambling-related activities across the nation.

Remember, gamble responsibly!

Published by Patrick Jane
03.04.2024