The English Football League (EFL) defends its gambling sponsorships as the UK government considers a potential prohibition on all betting operators advertising their products via major sports.
In an EFL statement, it is made clear that gambling and sports have strong ties that are “long-standing, with a collaborative, evidence-based approach to preventing gambling harms of much greater benefit than that of a blanket ban of any kind.”
Is the UK Abandoning the Possibility of a Total Gambling Ban?
The UK government’s Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) will review the Gambling Act 2005, publishing the result in the coming year. This review is of great importance, especially if one looks at the revenue from sponsorships for the sports clubs.
Gambling promotion will be at the center of the review, with the respective House of Lords committee recently suggesting the delay of any sponsorship ban to 2023 for “clubs below the Premier League” so as to find time to come to terms with the new financial reality.
The EFL accused the British government of not presenting a clear vision for the future. Furthermore, it pledged to continue its “open and regular dialogue with all relevant stakeholders – including the government”.