The End of Gambling Sponsorship: Is It Good for Football?
Brighton are one of only a handful of clubs that don’t have a gambling sponsor on their shirt, so news that the government may ban shirt sponsors of such a nature won’t hit the Seagulls too hard. But the wider impact on the game is relatively severe.
Gambling by its nature will always be divisive. Of course, the reasoning behind the government making such a move goes without saying. But perhaps little is being thought about the impact it will have on football, not just in the Premier League, but right through the Football League too.
Brighton’s betting official global betting partner is Betway, a brand who have a huge foothold in football. The club are West Ham’s main sponsor and the deal is the largest shirt sponsorship deal outside of the top six, worth £60million to the club. They are unlikely to get such a sum from anywhere else outside of gambling.
Today, 10 of the 20 teams in the Premier League have gambling sponsors in some capacity on their shirt, while all will have some form of relationship with a betting brand, allowing them to showcase offers and allowing fans to discover offers like 15 free bingo no deposit bonuses, all for a princely fee that goes directly to the club. It’s a match made in heaven, particularly at present when clubs are without the thousands of fans packing stadiums on a weekly basis.
Many Football League teams have claimed that sponsorships with gambling firms have helped keep them afloat during the last 12 months and without them they would go under. Which makes the decision the government are making much more complex than simply banning gambling firms from sponsoring clubs.
It could have a catastrophic effect on clubs, and particularly those outside of the Premier League, with TV money significantly lower, attendances lower and running costs high.
Having a bookmaker, casino, or bingo site behind them offered a safety blanket. And one that is unlikely to be replicated by any other industry.
No other industry, aside from perhaps alcohol, has such close ties with the beautiful game. Betting and football go hand in hand and have done for decades.
It’s an industry that’s ever growing and they have the money available to back teams and contribute to the game’s success. That amount of money won’t come from any other industry, and certainly not on such a scale.
Sure, the likes of Chevrolet, Fly Emirates and Etihad have the cash to spend, but they are unlikely to seek sponsorships outside of the big boys, whereas even relatively unknown bookmakers can offer the vital funds a League One or Championship side need to survive.
Debates will rage on over the coming months and potentially years before a decision is made, but whatever decision is made is going to change the game forever.
Allow gambling sponsors to continue, and we’ll likely see even more brands pump their money into partnering with clubs. Ban them, and clubs right across the country are going to have to completely readjust their finances, and quite possibly hope for the best.
