Sky Betting and Gaming ramps up EFL safer gambling measures ahead of new season
Flutter-owned firm will continue to push responsible gambling message throughout the 2022-23 season with sleeve and perimeter advertising
Sky Betting and Gaming (SBG) CCO Steve Birch has confirmed further responsible gambling messaging will be a core pillar of the operator’s ongoing partnership with the English Football League (EFL) ahead of the start of the new season.
In a blog post on the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) website, Birch revealed the firm had bolstered its safer gambling messaging ahead of its 10th season as principal sponsor of the EFL.
As part of its new strategy, branded sleeve badges on shirts, every matchday programmes and big screen adverts allocated to Sky Bet will be dedicated to the responsible gambling slogan.
Additionally, the operator will actively seek to raise awareness of “TalkBanStop”, the collaborative partnership between GamCare, Gamban and Gamstop.
“TalkBanStop” is a collaborative partnership that provides free tools and support for people who struggle with their gambling habits.
The partnership recently received additional funding to extend until, at least, March 2023.
SBG’s partnership with the EFL also includes a collaboration with EPIC Risk Management, which seeks to educate players and staff from every one of the 72 EFL clubs about the harms of excessive gambling. This partnership is now in its fifth year.
The firm also reaffirmed its commitment to the Take Time to Think safer gambling campaign.
Birch went on to praise the visibility the SBG brand has achieved and will continue to achieve by saying: “Back to full capacity following the pandemic, Wembley hosted close to 200,000 football fans across three exciting league finals in May, whereby two sleeping giants of English football – Nottingham Forest and Sunderland – were promoted from the Championship and League One respectively, with Port Vale coming up from League Two.” The firm allocated 70% of its advertising over the three playoff finals to responsible gambling messaging.
Birch concluded that Sky Bet and the EFL have “pioneered what a collaborative and constructive partnership can look like between a betting company and a sporting organisation” and suggested that the relationship has helped to foster further Flutter endeavours around the globe including the NFL, NBA and NRL.
Flutter recently announced that it is to make a series of redundancies as part of a company restructure.