Former First Minister calls for Scottish football gambling ad ban
Ex-Scottish Labour Party leader Henry McLeish says five-year William Hill sponsorship deal represents a “new low” for the sport as operator’s head of media insists safer gambling will be at the centre of the partnership
Henry McLeish, the former First Minister of Scotland, has called for gambling ads to be banned from football after labelling the Scottish Professional Football League’s (SPFL) sponsorship deal with William Hill “a new low”.
At the start of June, the operator agreed a “record-breaking” five-year deal with the SPFL, which began this season and saw Scotland’s top four divisions renamed as the William Hill Premiership, William Hill Championship, William Hill League 1 and William Hill League 2.
Last week, evoke CEO Per Widerström said it was the right time for the firm to sponsor Scottish football, having originally ended its partnership with the Scottish FA in 2020.
SPFL CEO Neil Doncaster revealed that following the early end of Cinch’s partnership, the final three potential new title sponsors were all gambling companies.
McLeish had a brief career as a professional footballer in the 1960s where he represented Scotland’s youth team and played for East Fife, but was forced to retire due to injury.
Entering the world of politics by joining the Scottish Labour Party in 1970, he went on to become First Minister in October 2000 but resigned a year later over allegations that he failed to disclose income from sub-letting part of his Central Fife constituency office.
Writing in The Times over the weekend, McLeish slammed the William Hill sponsorship and described it as football surrendering to “lure of gambling”.
McLeish said: “The SPFL’s sponsorship deal with William Hill represents a new low in Scottish football, and a disappointing surrender to the lure of gambling.
“Despite warnings of its potential impact on the health and mental wellbeing of more than one third of a million children and young people, and tens of thousands of vulnerable adults, the SPFL continues to support gambling and alcohol sponsorship, which should have no place in sport, deserving the same fate as tobacco advertising a two decades ago.
“Public health matters and sport must play its part.”
Adding that Scottish football should be agreeing to “clean” sponsors, McLeish queried whether fans or public health experts had been involved in discussions before calling for the abandonment of alcohol and gambling sponsorship in Scottish football within the next five years.
Speaking to EGR last week, Doncaster revealed he had had little communication from SPFL fans regarding concerns over the deal, instead noting an “overwhelming feeling” that William Hill is a “much-loved brand”.
The partnership between William Hill and the SPFL will also see EPIC Global Solutions, a gambling-related harms support group, deliver workshops and support to all 42 SPFL clubs over the course of the deal.
Noting that while the nation has a public health challenge, McLeish said it was not the fault of the sport but that it should not promote products that can make things worse.
He added: “The aims of Scotland’s most popular sport are not compatible with gambling or indeed alcohol.
“Children and young people should not be exposed to advertising, temptation and possible addiction. But every time any of the four Scottish leagues are mentioned, their names will be prefixed with William Hill.
“Advertising, of this nature and on this scale, will be comprehensive, all consuming, ubiquitous and unavoidable.
“Scottish football must embrace a new goal, abandoning alcohol and gambling sponsorship within five years by adopting a modern and imaginative approach. Moral questions and mental health matter.”
Over the weekend, Daryl West, William Hill head of media, sponsorship and social, explained that the new partnership would put safer gambling at its core.
In a blog post for the Betting and Gaming Council, he wrote: “Like most of the nation, we enjoy a social bet. Sports betting can add to the entertainment and thrill of a fixture, provide an opportunity to back your team or showcase your sporting knowledge.
“However, we also acknowledge that sports betting can become problematic for a small minority and can, in some instances, lead to gambling-related harm. Through our partnership with EPIC, we will tackle this issue head-on.”
West continued: “Over the course of the next five years we will be a proper supporter of Scottish Football. This means safer gambling is, and always will be, at the heart of William Hill and our sponsorship of the SPFL. We take our role seriously.
“Our programme isn’t one that will be delivered off-the-cuff; it’s a programme that is bespoke to Scottish football and designed to deliver real impact for all stakeholders.
“By combining this with our headline sponsorship, we will not only play our role in creating new memories for fans but also ensure that sports betting is as it is intended: social, fun and safe.”