Bookmakers to consider stopping Football Shirt Sponsorship
Sponsorship of football shirts by gambling firms could become a thing of the past, after several leading UK bookmakers told a House of Lords committee that they would consider stopping football shirt sponsorship.
In the committee meeting that was held yesterday on 4th February 2020, were representatives from GVC the owners of brands such as Ladbrokes and Coral, William Hill, bet365, Sky Betting & Gaming, Paddy Power Betfair and Brigid Simmonds OBE, Chairperson of the Betting and Gaming Council.
You can view at your leisure the full committee hearing here: https://www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/ecb79c87-d947-4005-a214-1f0f8d034457.
However, to surmise, Simmonds representing the BGC said of a voluntary ban of sponsorship of football: “I think there are good messages; all the sponsorship that goes on with clubs is about putting responsible messages up as well as the name, but we are actively considering our options.”
“Grassroots sports benefits from a lot of the money put into sport and we want that sponsorship to be used responsibly. We go into clubs and work with players and coaches to ensure they know the rules.”
While Kenny Alexander the Chief Executive Officer of GVC Holdings, confirmed that the company had continued to abstain from shirt and perimeter advertising of football since August last year. With Alexander calling for further action to be taken by operators, to build on the voluntary whistle to whistle ban that bookmakers undertook since the autumn of 2019.
