Tony Bloom throws weight behind gambling shirt sponsorship ban
Brighton chair reveals support for potential ban as he cites need to protect children as a paramount factor
Brighton & Hove Albion chair and professional gambler Tony Bloom has signalled his support for a ban on gambling shirt sponsorship in the Premier League.
Bloom, who has been chair of the south coast side since 2009 and made his fortune as a successful sports bettor and poker player, indicated he would support any potential ban on the most prominent of advertising.
Speaking to The Athletic, Bloom said there is still a place for gambling advertising in the game but there is a need to protect young people and those at-risk from gambling-related harm of overexposure.
He said: “From a personal point of view, it’s important to be aware of children seeing gambling or betting advertising on the shirt in particular because they buy shirts.
“We’re not against gambling or betting at all, but the advertising certainly when it comes to children we’re aware of.
“Although we do have some gambling advertising around, we are careful where we place it, so we are probably a bit more cautious than some other clubs,” Bloom added.
Brighton counts online operator Betway as its official global betting partner, but has elected to steer clear of front-of-shirt sponsorship agreements with the industry.
Bloom went on to argue his case against shirt sponsorship, while conceding the amount of revenue the industry can bring to smaller clubs may be too tempting to turn down.
He continued: “I don’t think having gambling sponsorship on shirts is good, but I understand that for some clubs, particularly clubs down the leagues with much less revenue, the gambling companies pay the best so it’s a difficult decision to turn them down.
“Although there is gambling advertising all around, I just think on the shirts it’s the most obvious, so that would give me the most concern,” he added.
Gambling shirt sponsorship has been one of the most debated issues in the upcoming white paper review into the Gambling Act 2005.
Many expected the ban to be one of the leading changes in legislation, but conflicting reports have suggested this may not be the case and the banning of gambling sponsorship could materialise as a result of a voluntary vote from Premier League clubs.
Under this vote, shirt sponsorships would be phased out by the 2024-25 season, while perimeter and stadium advertising would still be allowed.
The white paper is under serious threat of failing to be published before Parliament adjourns for summer recess following the political fallout from Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s resignation last week.