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Should gambling sponsorship be banned from football?


Should gambling sponsorship be banned from football?  

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Gambling sponsorship within football has become more and more prominent over the past 10-15 years. Last season, 50% of English Premier League teams in England took to the field with gambling firms' logos on their shirts, with 4 out of 12 SPFL Premiership clubs also featuring bookies/online gaming firms as their shirt sponsors.

As alcohol shirt sponsorship seems to have drifted out of the game, gambling firms have taken over and it feels very much like it is being thrown in our face. Even watching a game on TV, we are routinely encouraged by Jeff Stelling or Ray Winstone to chuck money at the next goalscorer or the number of corners.

As someone with a family member who ended up crippled with debt and depression due to a gambling addiction which spiralled out of control, I can relate to those who feel that the sport needs to stop shamelessly promoting an industry which has ruined so many lives and will continue to do so if things continue down this road.

Just wanted to get the opinion of others on here. 

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11 minutes ago, AyrTroopMajor said:

Gambling sponsorship within football has become more and more prominent over the past 10-15 years. Last season, 50% of English Premier League teams in England took to the field with gambling firms' logos on their shirts, with 4 out of 12 SPFL Premiership clubs also featuring bookies/online gaming firms as their shirt sponsors.

As alcohol shirt sponsorship seems to have drifted out of the game, gambling firms have taken over and it feels very much like it is being thrown in our face. Even watching a game on TV, we are routinely encouraged by Jeff Stelling or Ray Winstone to chuck money at the next goalscorer or the number of corners.

As someone with a family member who ended up crippled with debt and depression due to a gambling addiction which spiralled out of control, I can relate to those who feel that the sport needs to stop shamelessly promoting an industry which has ruined so many lives and will continue to do so if things continue down this road.

Just wanted to get the opinion of others on here. 

Money is all that matters to them and it's completely disingenuous when they state otherwise.

As someone who has about 14 online accounts with various bookmakers I can also confirm that they do nothing to prevent problem gambling and in fact only encourage people to spend more and more, irrespective of their circumstances.

If it wasn't such a big industry and big earner for the Government, you could rest assured that gambling would be treated as being as much of a pariah as tobacco or alcohol, if not more so, but as we said they only care about profit at the end of the day and people / families are just collateral damage.........

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People who want to gamble will know where to go and how to do, it so the level of advertising in the game isn't totally necessary - if people want those deals they can look at the apps/websites for in-play deals etc. This applies to those with a reasonable/passing interest in gambling as well as those who are addicts.

The real difference it will make is for those trying to kick the gambling habit. It is such that they can't watch the game because there are so many references to it throughout the game and it shoudn't be like that - the ad's with Ray Winstone that come in split screen when the teams are coming out are advertising at a ridiculous level - gambling is massively over-promoted compared to other products advertised at matches.

If they kept it to a more reasonable level, one ad before, at half-time and then after - and keep it off the pitchside boards and strips, then those who want to avoid it but still watch the game can (because they can go and do something else at that point)  and those who want to keep it will still have some advertising presence in the game.

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It is over the top especially with the shirt sponsorship in the EPL and the sponsorship of the Leagues and most of the cups up here. It seems like their the only companies who seem to be willing to stump up reasonable dough for sponsorships in Scotland anyway.

It does make gambling "glamorous" to youngsters watching the EPL on the telly etc and buying the strips so the more vunerable I suppose could end up gamblers because of it I suppose then again you could end up a gambler regardless.

Thankfully I avoid all that being a tightwad with my dosh when I was a youngster:lol:

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No.

As someone who enjoys gambling.

I know it is absolutely a mugs game.

I have set myself a limit of £100 a month. 

I do think of increasing it a lot but then I remember how much £'s I have that I don't normally have in my bank A/C. 

Also in a footballing sense we went 2 seasons without a sponsor. 

We want the game to continue growing and having a title sponsor is key to ensuring that happens. 

Obviously if a non gambling company offers more money to be the next sponsor then it is goodbye Ladbrokes.

However that day has not arrived. 

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1 hour ago, cowdenbeath said:

It is over the top especially with the shirt sponsorship in the EPL and the sponsorship of the Leagues and most of the cups up here. It seems like their the only companies who seem to be willing to stump up reasonable dough for sponsorships in Scotland anyway.

It does make gambling "glamorous" to youngsters watching the EPL on the telly etc and buying the strips so the more vunerable I suppose could end up gamblers because of it I suppose then again you could end up a gambler regardless.

Thankfully I avoid all that being a tightwad with my dosh when I was a youngster:lol:

Ha ha I’m the same Cowden wouldn’t give them my money. I think something has surely got  to give soon as it’s just gambling adverts everywhere. 

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2 minutes ago, Bishop Briggs said:

Gambling on football won't stop if it is banned.

It will be driven underground to the benefit of corrupt and illegal bookies.

Keep it legal and regulated to at least try to minimise addiction.

I don’t think anyone was suggesting that gambling on football itself should be banned Bish. 

Edited by Rab B Nesbit
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7 minutes ago, Rab B Nesbit said:

I don’t think anyone was suggesting that gambling on football itself should be banned Bish. 

Right.  Banning the advertising just as they banned tobacco advertising seems to be inevitable.  

On a side note, gambling adverts might be the worst adverts on the telly.  They appeal directly to the moron demographic, by associating gambling with either being a player or being a movie star.  PaddyPower ought to be banned for no reason whatsoever other than their Twitter account.

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14 minutes ago, Rab B Nesbit said:

I don’t think anyone was suggesting that gambling on football itself should be banned Bish. 

That would be next step if sponsorship is banned. The authoritarians never give up; they just step up war and go for a more extreme measure.

It happened with smoking and "junk food". Alcohol, gambling and lap dancing are on the fascist killjoys' hitlist too.

Edited by Bishop Briggs
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That would be next step if sponsorship is banned. The authoritarians never give up; they just step up war and go for a more extreme measure.

It happened with smoking and "junk food". Alcohol, gambling and lap dancing are on the fascist killjoys' hitlist too.

 

Am I missing something? Because drinking smoking junk food and strip clubs are all 100% legal with little chance of a ban happening. Gambling isn’t going to get banned, nor should it.

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At the very least ban gambling "advertising" sneaked in during live sport broadcasts. The amount of time you hear "the latest odds with ... for ... to turn this match around are ..." during a game is crazy. If you allow adverts, just allow it in the ad breaks and not on such a sneaky way.

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I wouldn't mind i fit wasn't for the ridiculous ban on players and officials betting on any football games. 

Scholes got done last week, did he not? Whatever he is at Salford - Chairman? - he's not allowed to bet on any football match. 

I believe the FA in England and the SFA have the same basic rules. The matchday secretary at Whitehill Welfare is not allowed to bet on Real Madrid v. Barcelona. For that matter, the reserve left-back at Morpeth Town or kitman at Canvey Island is not allowed to bet on Auchlinleck v. Pollok in the Junior Cup.

Given the ridiculously draconian blanket ban on everyone officially connected with football placing any bet on any game, it's pretty clear that the SFA and the FA take an almost schizophrenic view on the potential evils of gambling, yet they allow the majority of their leading clubs to endorse the industry. Makes no sense.        

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I wouldn't mind i fit wasn't for the ridiculous ban on players and officials betting on any football games. 
Scholes got done last week, did he not? Whatever he is at Salford - Chairman? - he's not allowed to bet on any football match. 
I believe the FA in England and the SFA have the same basic rules. The matchday secretary at Whitehill Welfare is not allowed to bet on Real Madrid v. Barcelona. For that matter, the reserve left-back at Morpeth Town or kitman at Canvey Island is not allowed to bet on Auchlinleck v. Pollok in the Junior Cup.
Given the ridiculously draconian blanket ban on everyone officially connected with football placing any bet on any game, it's pretty clear that the SFA and the FA take an almost schizophrenic view on the potential evils of gambling, yet they allow the majority of their leading clubs to endorse the industry. Makes no sense.        


Players etc aren’t banned becomes of ‘evils of gambling’. It largely because they have to much insider knowledge. It’s easy to see how scholes would have known more than most about Valencia or united matches when his mates were directly involved. Would the bookies have reported him had he not been in profit? Probably not...

There’s a blanket ban because it’s simple. There’s too many scenarios on where to draw the line for every person, so everyone involved is banned on everything.
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Laws aren't supposed to be simple. That's why lawyers earn such good money. We could have a 20mph speed limit everywhere or hand down a driving ban to anyone who's used a mouthwash in the last couple of hours. 

Why would The FA or SFA be worried about players taking bookies for a few quid with "insider" knowledge? In any case, even knowing a goalie might be injured and a kid will be replacing him isn't exactly in the same ballpark as knowing the favourite for the Derby or the Gold Cup trod on a stone on the gallops and missed a week's work. Most early snippets of team news won't be as crucial as a missing senior goalie.

I can understand not allowing players to bet on games in they're involved in.

Maybe even on betting in matches within their own league.

I personally know several part-time players who have a cash acca every Saturday at high street betting shops. A couple bet mainly on games at levels in and around their own division.

I watched one, knowing he'd bet against his own team. He's arguably the best "defensive" striker in his league. Works his balls off, harrying defenders in possession for the 90 minutes. He didn't try any less hard because he had the opposition in a £10 acca. He just thought the 5/2 about a better team beating his own was too big. Game ended 1-1. No suspicion he wasn't trying. Admittedly I know less committed players who'd be less trustworthy. It didn't cost him anything, as one of the other sides lost. His assistant manager also bets every week and has ante-post bets on accounts.

In any case, The FA in England does draw the line. Players at levels that compete in the FA Vase are allowed to bet on professional matches, or were when I last checked. FA Vase level includes the Northern League around Newcastle, which is a strong league, with some well-supported clubs. Many of the players will be "in the know" through contacts at Football League or Conference / National League level. 

I'm not sure what the SJFA's rules are on their players betting on professional matches.    

Edited by Victor von Doom
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Why would The FA or SFA be worried about players taking bookies for a few quid with "insider" knowledge?


Because those bookies put a lot of money into football...

The same reason uefa have taken interest in something seemingly irrelevant like Scottish licensing laws.

I wish like f**k I could find it but there was a blog out by former lower league player that came out around the time of the black affair, it describes all sorts of stuff going on, all short of match fixing, but things like being handed the ball for penalties despite never usually taking them, cos half the league had him down to score even tho he wasn’t even expected to be back from injury yet.

Word travels fast amongst players and the bookies don’t like it.
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