EFL Clubs Receiving Cut Of Gambling Losses
English Football League (EFL) clubs still receive a direct cut of gamblers’ losses from its betting partner SkyBet, according to a report in The Guardian.
The report states that an internal document has shown members of the EFL, the three English football divisions that sit below the Premier League, operate as ‘affiliates’ for Leeds-based gambling company SkyBet. This means the league is acting as a ‘middleman’ that encourages gambling with SkyBet and benefits from a percentage of gambler losses.
The document states that clubs were entitled to a ‘share of losses from accounts registered in your club name to Sky Bet through our affiliate partnership.’
This arrangement began in 2013 but the EFL has claimed the deal was phased out during the 2019-20 season to focus more on safer gambling.
The leagues have admitted that some clubs are still benefitting from funds under the ‘legacy’ contracts and would continue profiting until the end of the 2023‑24 season.
The EFL did not disclose how many clubs previously benefited from the deal or which clubs still received money from it.
SkyBet, part of the Flutter gambling empire, has sponsored the EFL for 10 seasons.
The news comes at a time when gambling sponsorship is under the spotlight in British football. Potential government reforms looked to be on the table earlier this under Boris Johnson’s leadership, but it failed to materialise.
The Times reported in July that the government was set to scrap any proposed ban on gambling sponsors in British football, which encouraged the Premier League’s for voluntary removal of betting firms on shirts from the game as an alternative to legislation.
In April 2022, the UK’s Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) introduced a raft of new rules to limit the freedom of betting firm’s advertising activity. A ban on betting adverts from featuring sports stars and social media influencers, including teams’ official kits and stadiums in any potential campaigns will come into play in October. The overall objective is to reduce the appeal to those under the age of 18.
However, shirt and title sponsorships are still within the rules.
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