Gambling Brands’ Shirt Deals Under Threat
Gambling brands’ shirt sponsorship deals with football clubs are under threat
after an investigation was launched to discover whether the associations
encourage children to gamble.
Under current law, it is illegal for gambling operators to target children
with advertising. The Gambling Commission is to look into whether the football
shirt sponsorship tie-ups are by-passing these laws.
Premier League clubs Middlesbrough, Tottenham, Blackburn and Aston Villa all
have sponsorship contracts with online gambling operators including 888.com,
Mansion, 23Red and Bet24.
The loss of Mansion’s deal would be a huge financial blow to Tottenham given
the contract, signed in the summer, is worth £34m over four years.
The UK Gambling Act is set to become law next September and the Gambling
Commission is preparing regulations to cover all forms of gambling.
