Although there are laws to limit the marketing of gambling providers and prohibit the direct marketing of gambling to children, data gathered in the last couple of years has shown that gambling logos appear regularly in football-related products and media. Keep reading below to find out more about the visibility of gambling sponsorship in football.

Gambling logos are ever-present in football

With many governments around the world currently reviewing gambling laws, Channel 4’s documentary about football’s gambling addiction added fire to the debate. They reported that, during a single Premier League match between Newcastle United and Wolverhampton Wanderers, gambling logos appeared over 700 times. This gambling news story shocked thousands of football fans around the world. 

Government leaders are calling for a radical re-think

Since this documentary aired, many government leaders have been calling for a radical re-think of the relationship between betting and sport. Former Scottish Conservative Leader, Ruth Davidson is leading the way with this. Davidson believes that football’s relationship with the gambling industry is a “parasite that is taking over the host”.

During the Channel 4 documentary, Davidson also raised concerns about cross-selling, where gambling companies encourage people betting on football to try their other products, such as slot games or casino-style games that usually carry higher rates of addiction than football betting. 

Ruth Davidson’s intervention into the debate comes while the government is in the midst of reviewing gambling laws. This review includes the examination of sponsorship deals. 

Is football betting addictive?

Advertisers for online betting more often than not show people having fun and winning lots of money. This is often what draws football fans to their sites. However, a recent study that looked at the relationship between football sponsorship, betting participation and problem gambling, concluded that there was no concrete evidence that the sponsorship of clubs or football leagues by betting companies influenced participation in betting. 

While this may be true, there is a high chance that gambling logos can lure some football fans to betting sites. And although football betting is not believed to be the most addictive form of online betting, it can be addictive for some individuals. And, with online betting sites encouraging players to try out some of their other games, which are often more addictive, it is easy for individuals to find themselves in trouble. 

As you can see from the evidence above, gambling logos are ever-present in football. This is because the gambling industry currently contributes more than 100 million AUD to football clubs, plus another 200 million AUD to broadcasters. This is a huge amount of money that many clubs rely on. If gambling companies were no longer allowed to sponsor football teams, these teams would have to find new sponsorship. This can be difficult for clubs, particularly smaller teams that are not in the Premier League. 

However, despite many clubs relying on gambling sponsors, there is a good chance that we will see some changes to gambling laws in the near future. Many MPs are working hard to prevent gambling logos from appearing on the television. 

Disclaimer: Play responsibly. Players must be over 18. For help visit https://www.gamcare.org.uk/. 

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