UK and Irish football clubs join forces to call for an end to gambling sponsorship
Signatories dismiss notion sport relies on gambling sponsorship to survive and calls for a rights levy
A number of UK and Irish football clubs have penned an open letter to the UK government supporting the banning of gambling sponsorship in the sport.
A total of 20 clubs ranging from Championship high-flyers Luton Town and League One side Bolton Wanderers through to non-league sides have asserted that gambling advertising within football is “not sustainable” in the damning letter.
With the white paper on the government’s review of the Gambling Act 2005 imminent, there remains questions as to what, if any, marketing restrictions will be applied to operators.
The letter was written in support of The Big Step’s campaign to rid football of gambling sponsorship.
The letter read: “We have witnessed the harmful growth of gambling sponsorship and advertising in football, including the negative impact on our fans.
“As trusted hubs our of community, we have a social and ethical responsibility to our young fans and wider fanbase to create the safest possible environment to watch their heroes. This is not compatible with something that causes more than 400 suicides every year in England alone.”
The signatories went on to dismiss claims over the reliance on gambling sponsorship to support the operational vitality of football clubs.
“It seems clear to us that our fans, the players and the public support our stance, with the only barrier seemingly being the financial impact on clubs. This is why we are writing to you today – we want to challenge the notion that football in dependent on gambling advertising revenues.
“As clubs without these partnerships, we can say categorically that we evidently do not need them. We have managed to source other forms of sponsorship and have attracted partnerships because of our socially responsible stance on this issue.”
In addition to shirt sponsorship, the teams also called for gambling advertising in-stadia and competition sponsorship to also be banned.
The clubs also suggested gambling firms should be subject to a rights levy to pay back into the football pyramid.
“There are much bigger questions about the financial sustainability and fairness of football but funding out game through gambling ads is not sustainable, nor is it fair.
“The gambling sector derives most of its profits from people expiring harm which is incompatible with the values of our sport. The betting industry could and should contribute to the sport it generates billions from by the government introducing a rights levy.”
The list of supporting clubs reads as: Luton Town, Glasgow City, Bolton Wanderers, Tranmere Rovers, Forest Green Rovers, Drogheda United, Chippenham Town, Dulwich Hamlet, Billericay Town, Lewes, Clapton Community, Seaford Town, Newhaven, Headingley, Grenta FC 2008, Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic, Wyndham Athletic, Ipswich Wanderers, Estudiantes and Darlington Railway Athletic.