La Liga clubs facing banned gambling shirt sponsorship dilemma
Eight Spanish clubs will be forced to remove betting sponsors In accordance with Covid-19 emergency laws
Eight of Spain’s biggest football clubs will have to cover or remove gambling shirt sponsorships for the first three matchdays of the restarted La Liga season.
Alaves, Granada, Leganes, Levante, Osasuna, Real Mallorca, Sevilla and Valencia have all signed deals with sport betting operators as main shirt sponsors.
Betway sponsors three clubs, Alaves, Leganes and Levante, while Marathonbet features on the shirts of Sevilla.
Granada (Winamax), Osasuna (Kirolbet), Real Mallorca (Betfred) and Valencia (bwin) must also comply with the current Covid-19 lockdown laws in place in the country.
In conjunction with Covid-19-enduced emergency laws in Spain, the advertising of gambling is only prohibited between 1am and 5am.
Article 37 of Royal Decree-Law 11/2020 runs until at least 21 June, and with the season restarting on 11 June from its coronavirus-enforced shutdown, the cross-over period will put the clubs in a compromising position.
As well as the blanket ban on shirt advertising, in-stadia branding must also be removed, while La Liga has also been forced to amend advertisement boards used in interviews.
A source from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs told Spanish publication Marca: “The government approved the banning of gambling advertising in March in order to protect the most vulnerable people during lockdown.
“As the risk decreases and always considering the maximum criteria of public health, the necessary measures to advance into the new normal will be taken.”