Gambling review delay lets Premier League football clubs strike sponsorship deals

theguardian.com:

Families who lost loved ones to gambling addiction have reacted with anger after thegovernment’s decision to delay its gambling white paper allowed three Premier League football clubs to sign new shirt sponsorship deals with betting firms.

The new agreements mean that eight of England’s top football clubs now have front-of-shirt gambling sponsors, while others have separate deals for sleeve sponsorship, logos on training kits and stadium advertising.

Charles Ritchie, co-founder of the charity Gambling with Lives, which supports and campaigns for families affected by gambling-related suicide, said: “We need an end to all gambling advertising. The delays to the white paper are disgraceful.”

Annie Ashton, from Leicester, whose husband, Luke, took his life in April last year after he started gambling during lockdown, said: “Football is a way into gambling addiction for so many people. It’s shocking that clubs continue to blatantly ignore that.”

Ministers announced in December 2020 they were reviewing gambling laws, including sports sponsorship, but have delayed the keenly awaited white paper four times. The latest delay was confirmed after Boris Johnson announced his resignation as prime minister.

The review has included examining online stake limits, improved protection for online gamblers and gambling advertising. A potential ban by the government on gambling logos on sports shirts has widely trailed for more than a year and a half, but it is understood ministers are now considering a voluntary ban by football clubs.

The Premier League clubs were due to vote this summer on a ban on front-of-shirt sponsorship, but it was postponed. Premier League chief executive Richard Masters has blamed the “political hiatus” for the delay. It