English FA terminates Ladbrokes betting partnership
Four-year deal with the operator comes to an abrupt end as The FA cuts all sponsorship ties with betting companies
The English Football Association (FA) has terminated its partnership with Ladbrokes just one year into the deal following a decision to cut all sponsorship ties with betting companies.
England’s football governing body today confirmed its agreement with the UK bookie would come to an end this month after a three-month review into the appropriateness of its betting partnerships.
As a result, The FA’s board took the decision last month to end all sponsorships with betting companies from the end of the 2016-17 season.
In a statement, Jim Mullen, CEO of Ladbrokes Coral, said: “We understand The FA’s decision regarding their commercial partnerships on gambling.
“Football is a passion of ours, and our customers, and we remain committed to working with The FA to ensure the integrity and trust of the sport is maintained for the fans of the game and the millions of customers who enjoy betting on it week in and week out.”
Ladbrokes replaced William Hill as the official betting partner of The FA last year, with the deal having included brand exposure across all England senior men’s international matches.
The FA’s CEO, Martin Glenn, added: “We would like to thank Ladbrokes for both being a valued partner over the last year and for their professionalism and understanding about our change of policy around gambling.”
The relationship between football and gambling has come under increasing strain in recent months following a string of controversies, including Piegate, Joey Barton betting on games, and John Terry arranging a pre-determined substitution in the 24th minute of his final game.
However, The FA said it will continue to work with betting operators, including Ladbrokes, on a information sharing basis to help identify suspect betting patterns.