INSIGHT
sideshow for adult supporters both in
the stadium and watching at home…
There is a wide range of industries
associated with sport whose target
audience is adults rather than children
and we would welcome the opportunity
to talk with sports administrators and
politicians to identify ways to work
together and address the challenges
which may exist.”
But this attempt at a dialogue appears
in danger of getting lost as the public
debate about gambling issues becomes
increasingly shrill. Moreover, it gives
opportunistic politicians the chance to
gain some easy headlines, says
David Clifton, director at the Clifton
Davies Consultancy. “With the current
levels of negative public opinion about
gambling — whether heavily influenced
by sensationalist newspaper headlines or
not — it is not altogether surprising to
see politicians seizing the opportunity to
jump on a passing bandwagon,” he says.
“The bigger threat to the industry will
be the outcome of the ongoing
time made clear that it was issues
of integrity — and in particular the
Joey Barton case — that had influenced
the decision. “At the May FA board
meeting, it was agreed that the
FA would end all sponsorships with
betting companies from the end of
the 2016-17 season,” the FA said.
“The decision was made following
a three-month review of the FA’s
approach to it as a governing body
taking betting sponsorship, whilst being
responsible for the regulation of sports
betting within the sport’s rules.”
Ladbrokes was keen to stress that
it understood the FA’s stance. It won’t
be the only company worried about the
reduced marketing options should
the more draconian Labour measures
become law.
Those measures, alongside the
possibility of a further restriction of
gambling advertising on TV, would make
the UK a far tougher market to advertise
in than was the case just a couple of
years ago.
“Arguably, the impact of an end to shirt sponsorship
deals in England would be felt most in markets
much further afield”
government review into the impact of
gambling advertising on children and
vulnerable people.”
The degree to which the relationship
between football and gambling is being
scrutinised was already evident in early
summer when it was announced that
the English Football Association and
Ladbrokes were bringing to an end their
£4m-a-year commercial relationship.
The statement from the FA at the
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iGB Affiliate Issue 65 OCT/NOV 2017
A grey strip
Arguably, the impact of an end to shirt
sponsorship deals in England would
be felt most in markets much further
afield. Although all the nine sponsors
mentioned have UK licences, it is
a fair bet that none has the UK as
its target market. The majority are
Asian-facing — Fun88 (Newcastle),
M88 (Bournemouth), ManBetx
(Crystal Palace), Letou (Swansea),
Dafabet (Burnley), Ope Sports
(Huddersfield) — and SportPesa
at Everton is Kenya-facing. Only
Stoke is sponsored by what might be
called a front-line UK brand: bet365
(but this is complicated by the Coates
family’s shared ownership and
bet365’s substantial Chinese footprint).
Betway at West Ham is a big-spending
challenger UK brand.
These last two firms would probably
be most affected by any new law but
what’s intriguing is that none of the
complaints about shirt sponsorship has
commented on the apparent lack of
UK-facing operators involved. Perhaps
this is because that fact weakens —
marginally if at all — the argument that
this is about protecting the young and the
vulnerable in the UK. But, because of
the Gambling Commission’s somewhat
confusing position on grey markets,
it’s maybe unsurprising after all.
As it stands, football’s gambling
sponsorships are just one more highly
visible sign of the degree to which the
last Labour government left behind a
policy on online gambling that was full
of loopholes — and which clearly
doesn’t sit well with football kits.
SCOTT LONGLEY has been
a journalist since the early
noughties covering personal
finance, sport and gambling.
He has worked for a number of
publications including Investor’s
Week, Bloomberg Money, Football
First, eGaming Review and Gambling
Compliance. He now runs his own
editorial consultancy, Clear Concise
Media, and writes for a number of
online and print titles.