Gambling and football have always had a close relationship. Many bookmakers and casino firms sponsor football clubs and have done so for many years. However, a BBC report from early February suggested that bookmakers are considering a voluntary ban on football shirt sponsorships and pitchside advertising.
But, after so many years of active sponsorship, why are bookmakers and casino brands only now considering an end to this, and should these sponsorships be banned?
Extensive Advertising
Currently, 17 of 24 Championship Clubs and 50% of the football clubs in the English Premier League (EPL) are sponsored by bookmakers and casino brands. The adverts frequently appear as logos on football club jerseys, on signage around football stadiums, advertisements during games on television, and even in matchday football programmes.
Last year, gambling firms agreed to a whistle-to-whistle advertising ban in which gambling advertisements cannot be aired on television during games. However, logos for casino and bookmaker firms can still be seen during the match. What’s more, many gambling firms own stands, teams or stadiums. For example, Stoke City’s stadium is the Bet365 Stadium (Previously known as the Britannia Stadium), and both the stadium and team are owned by bookmaker Bet365, owned by the Coates family.
A group of researchers from the Goldsmiths University of London studied three episodes of the BBC’s Match Of The Day and found that gambling logos and branding appeared on-screen for between 71% and 89% of the show’s runtime.
Vulnerable People
The sheer number of gambling advertisements and promotion has led many campaigners to express concern that vulnerable people, i.e, those struggling with an addiction or people under the age of 18, are being exposed to gambling. Recent studies and reports have revealed that children’s football programmes are filled with gambling logos and branding which, according to campaigners, normalise gambling for children and encourage them to gamble from a younger age.
Campaigners have also suggested that the number of advertisements and promotion can encourage gamers to develop addictions or problematic behaviour. The Gambling Commission estimates that around two million people are at risk of developing a gambling problem and although most people claim that sponsorships do not influence their decision to place a bet, most punters actually bet with one of the brands sponsoring Premier League clubs.
Footballers And Gambling
Many footballers land promotions with betting firms and casino brands, allowing the firms to use their image online or appearing in advertisements. However, many footballers have openly discussed their relationship with gambling including stars such as Kyle Lafferty, Paul Merson, Andros Townsend, and Wayne Rooney.
There are dozens of football players and managers who have managed to resist the lure of gambling. Some footballers such as Wayne Rooney stated that they gambled as a way to fill time when away for games. Meanwhile, reports from January 2020 revealed that betting was “common” in football dressing rooms even though it can lead to tough punishments for players, so it’s no wonder so many players in the football industry develop gambling problems.
How Gambling Sponsorships Can Be Good
However, gambling sponsorships aren’t all bad. In fact, all sponsorships from gambling firms promote responsible gambling messages as well as their brand names. According to industry specialists CasinosToPlay.com, bookmakers and online casino sites such as 32Red, Paddy Power, and more actively promote responsible gambling through their sponsorships to tackle problem gambling.
Sponsorships are great for the UK economy too as they promote gambling firms, raise awareness of the different bookmakers and online casinos and encourage players to wager responsibly. All of this helps keep the gambling industry thriving which, according to Chair of the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) Brigid Simmonds, currently employs 106,000 people in the UK and contributes around £14 billion to the UK’s economy annually. So sponsorships that promote gambling firms and brands keep the gambling industry running and aid the country’s economy.
There are disadvantages and advantages to football gambling sponsorships. Yes, they can be dangerous, but people and the country as a whole can benefit from them. There’s no need to completely ban these sponsorships, but helping gambling firms regulate or reduce them can certainly help vulnerable people all around the world.
