Gambling advertising is almost unmissable every time people view a football match. Some people may pay no attention to these gambling ads because their major focus is on the game. However, there are reasons to believe that gambling adverts may have gone too deep in football, and this article is dedicated to finding out if this is a fact.
Football has become more than just a sport; it can now be regarded as a universal language as it brings people together regardless of gender, race, or colour. While football is an exciting sport on its own, one thing that keeps people excited is knowing they have a chance of being rewarded for their passion every time they gamble on their favourite team to win a match. Of course, this is good news for the gambling industry as they can take advantage of sponsorships and endorsements of jerseys and teams to reach their target customers.
Nevertheless, it is vital to note that gambling has been an activity for a very long time, and people had travelled long distances to place bets even before online betting was possible. Thus, the world agrees that sports betting, specifically betting on football games isn’t the first form of gambling to exist. If gambling and football is a win-win situation for both football lovers and the gambling industry, one may wonder what’s in it for the clubs and football federation. Read further to find out facts about whether gambling advertising has gone too deep in football.
How Profitable is Gambling for Football?
The relationship between gambling and football is one that has become obvious and looks like a symbiosis. Best described as a good relationship as if you were to judge from the surface, but there seems to be more to this partnership than meets the eyes. Football now seems to have too much dependency on betting and gambling companies, which has led the world to believe that gambling is quite profitable for football.
Almost every football club has an endorsement from a gambling company, and this has been quite beneficial, especially to grassroots football clubs. Data shows that 50% of all premier league clubs have their shirts sponsored by betting clubs. According to the English football league (EFL), gambling companies contribute no less than £40m to the EFL clubs yearly via sponsorships, and figures go as high as £70m in the premier league. The numbers don’t lie, so it is safe to say that gambling is very profitable for football, and it’ll take so much for both parties to sever all ties.
The Harm of Gambling Ads Vs. KYC Verification
If a league as big as the EFL has a successful partnership with SkyBet, a popular gambling company, then there has to be a mutual agreement on something beneficial to football lovers, and the league. The message has been on responsible gambling while subtly projecting the gambling brand and trying to get more customers.
Nevertheless, the fact that gambling is an addictive activity cannot be dismissed. Both sports lovers and athletes are at risk of getting addicted if they are unable to control the compulsive urge to gamble. Gambling ads provided by the most powerful betting companies are not designed to feed gambling addictions, but the message of profitability that they preach is enough to trigger compulsive urge to bet. People go to various lengths to get funds for gambling.
Asides reports of punters going bankrupt as a result of their betting addictions, football players. According to Mr Palios, who chairs Tranmere Rover for almost a decade, an employee had previously stolen from the club to satisfy their gambling needs. This is a tip of the iceberg compared to the damages done by sports betting sites without ID verification to important aspects of society such as family and relationships. The gambling industry has been able to identify a profitable market in a poor environment where people spend twice as much money on betting than those who live in wealthy environments.
Whistle-to-Whistle and Voluntary Ban
According to available reports, bookmakers are presently considering a voluntary ban on the sponsorship of football shirts, as well as pitch side advertising.
The voluntary ban would expand on the already existing whistle-to-whistle ban on TV gambling adverts that was recently introduced.
17 out of the 24 Championship clubs and half of the Premier League clubs are sponsored by bookmakers. These numbers have led to concerns about the possible impact on vulnerable people and young fans.
The Betting and Gaming Council is a representative of most UK-based bookmakers, and it has stated that it was “considering” a voluntary ban on pitch-side advertising and football shirt sponsorship.
This may be good news for punters who are looking to cut down on their gambling addiction as fewer Ads will mean fewer triggers. But this will also mean that the football clubs and leagues will have to look elsewhere for extra income.
