Ex-Premier League ace calls for total ban on gambling sponsorship in football
Hal Robson-Kanu argues far more needs to be done to protect young people following Premier League front-of-shirt ban
Former Premier League footballer Hal Robson-Kanu has called for authorities to “extract gambling from football” as the debate around the sector’s prominence in the sport continues.
The ex-West Brom and Reading forward’s comments come following the voluntary ban among Premier League clubs to remove front-of-shirt gambling sponsors by the 2025-26 season.
Clubs will still be able to partner with gambling firms for in-stadia and sleeve sponsorships.
The level of gambling sponsorship in the sport has also been called into question following Brentford striker Ivan Toney being handed an eight-month ban for betting on football.
Critics have argued that Toney, who has since been diagnosed with a gambling addiction, promoted gambling firms on his respective clubs’ shirts while playing throughout his career and has yet been chastised for gambling himself.
Taking to LinkedIn, Robson-Kanu said that while changes such as the front-of-shirt ban were positive, there was still a “long way to go” to protect young people and those vulnerable to gambling-related harm.
He shared: “As much as we are seeing steps to change perspectives on gambling and football, there is so much more that needs to be done.
“Sponsorships advocating gambling are outdated and irresponsible. We don’t just need them removed from the front of shirts; we need to extract gambling from football sponsorships altogether.
“We’re sadly failing a generation of young fans by relentlessly promoting online casinos and betting shops; millions of people are affected by gambling each year and are losing their homes, their lives and their families,” he added.