20,000 signatures reached
To: UK Government
The English Football League should not be sponsored by a gambling company
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Legislate against gambling companies from sponsoring our national sport.
Why is this important?
The government must take immediate action on the relationship between gambling and football, following the revelation that the EFL sponsorship deal with Sky Bet has resulted in clubs taking a cut of their own fans’ gambling losses.
The largest perpetrator of gambling harm is not football itself, it’s gambling companies who exploit the sport and fans for obscene profit. The Sky Bet sponsorship of the football league means that all 72 clubs are essentially forced to advertise gambling on their shirts, in their stadiums and on their websites – even if they don’t want to. This is unacceptable and this latest development is the final straw in a relationship that has clearly gone too far.
Only last year, Sky Betting and Gaming was fined £1.2million by the Gambling Commission for sending 100 “free spins” to self-excluded gamblers, many of whom were recovering from gambling disorder.
We urge you to legislate against gambling companies from sponsoring our national sport.
There are now multiple EFL clubs such as Luton Town, Bolton Wanderers, Tranmere Rovers and Forest Green Rovers who deserve praise and recognition for thriving without gambling sponsorship – it's time for every club to do the same.
With the vast amount of gambling profits coming from a small percentage of customers, we know much of this money will come from addiction, from destroyed families and from those who have taken their life due to gambling.
There are millions of people either at risk or already addicted to gambling in the UK and many more being severely harmed by a gambler’s addiction. Worse still, Public Health England estimates there are 409 yearly gambling-related deaths in England alone, more than one every day.
It is undeniable that football is so often the starting point that draws young people into years of harm for them and their loved ones.
Football brings joy to fans and communities. But benefiting directly from the promotion of an addictive product is at odds with this commendable work.
