English Football League (EFL) clubs as well as non-league are calling on the UK Government to ban all gambling advertising within football.
20 clubs including Luton Town, Tranmere Rovers and more have signed a letter to the Government seeking to put an end to gambling sponsorship to try and “challenge the notion that football is dependent on gambling advertising revenues”.
The letter, which was coordinated by the Gambling With Lives campaign group, reads: “As owners, directors and executives responsible for our clubs, we have witnessed the harmful growth of gambling sponsorship and advertising in football including the negative impact on our fans”.
Aside from the fact that the EFL’s sponsor is betting firm, Skybet, many clubs in the league have gambling companies as their main shirt sponsor as well, such as Derby County and Middlesbrough, which are both sponsored by 32Red, just as Birmingham City and Coventry City have Boyle Sports.
The club also pointed out that, while banning gambling logos on shirts would be a significant acceptance of the harm caused, they still encourage the government to include all gambling advertising in stadiums and competition sponsorship so that every young fan can go to any football match and stay free of inducements to gamble”.
Gambling laws are currently under revision and ministers are due to publish their proposed reforms later this month, with a ban on betting companies located in the front of the shirts.
“As clubs without these partnerships, we can say categorically that we evidently do not need them. We have managed to source other forms of sponsorship and have attracted partnerships because of our socially responsible stance on this issue”.
The news comes on the same week as UK’s Advertising Standards Authority implemented tougher rules on gambling advertisements in Britain, where those featuring celebrities, sports people and social media influencers popular with the under-18s will be banned to protect children in one of the world’s largest betting markets, effective October 1, 2022.
The new measure was taken Tuesday by the regulator, with the aim of “safeguarding young people and vulnerable audiences”. These rules will impact gambling advertisers looking to promote their brands using sports people and celebrities as well as individuals like social media influencers.
The Committee of Advertising Practice, which writes the advertising codes that are regulated by the ASA, said gambling and lottery ads must not “be likely to be of strong appeal to children or young persons, especially by reflecting or being associated with youth culture”.
