Football Supporters Against Gambling Ads

Campaigns (30)

• London
  

  Tottenham Hotspur: Kick gambling ads out of football!

  My name is James and I'm in recovery from a twelve-year gambling addiction. This devastating period of my life took everything from me and started at 16 years old with a £5 bet on football. In my teens, I was on the end of an extreme amount of gambling advertising and sponsorship through my love of football. Even the club I supported, Tottenham, had an online casino on the front of their shirt. I trusted football and because it kept telling me to gamble, I did. Once on the sites, the bookies cross-sold me their more profitable and addictive casino and slots products, which is where the addiction and harm really happened for me. Football's constant reminder to gamble made cutting down or stopping nearly impossible. I love Spurs and they are a club that does so much good work in their community and bring a lot of joy (despite on-field performances...) to a lot of people, but promoting gambling to young fans in this country and around the world is jeapoardising this. There are 409 deaths related to gambling every year in England alone and so many recovering addicts like me attempted or contemplated suicide. A YouGov study from this year shows that 2.9 million people are either already addicted or at risk of being so, with a further 3.3 million classified as “affected others”. These stark figures show what we already know: gambling harm is not an issue affecting just a small minority, it is severely harming – sometimes killing – many. To prevent any young fan from experiencing what I and so many others did, I'm urging Spurs to cancel all gambling partnerships, say no to any new offers, and back The Big Step campaign.

  716 of 800 Signatures

  Created by James Grimes
• London
  

  Crystal Palace FC: Kick gambling ads out of football!

  My name is Tom and like countless others in the UK, I've been harmed by gambling. My addiction took me to a dark place, one full of self-loathing, shame, and guilt. I thought I was the only person in the world to feel like I did. Thankfully I was able to stop, but many aren’t as fortunate. I was really pleased to see Crystal Palace drop their gambling sponsorship this year, and now I would love to see my club pledge to reject future gambling partnerships and back The Big Step campaign to end all gambling advertising in football. The government is reviewing the 2005 Gambling Act, but I would like to see football to do the right thing before it is forced to. Football was undoubtedly the catalyst for my addiction. One study recently found that 700 gambling adverts can appear during a single televised Premier League game. The game I love told me that gambling was safe and fun – my heroes wore shirts plastered in gambling adverts, and ex-players and managers shouted at me from the television screen at half-time, urging me to place another bet. I trusted them, so I believed them. But not one of them told me about the risks. Public Health England estimates there are 409 suicides linked to gambling each year in England alone, with a study finding that people suffering from gambling disorder are 15 times more likely to take their lives. When you consider there are up to 1.4 million people addicted to gambling in the UK, this paints a very disturbing picture. Added to this, there are millions more at risk of addiction and harmed indirectly by someone else’s gambling. Gambling is a huge public health issue and it’s not something that football should be promoting – how many other entertainment industries drive hundreds of their participants a year to suicide?

  599 of 600 Signatures

  Created by Tom Fleming
• Glasgow
  

  Celtic and Rangers: Kick gambling ads out of football!

  There is at least 1 death every day by suicide every day in the UK due to gambling addictions.This is 1 death to many. I myself have suffered with a gambling addiction for 30 years ,gladly i am now 4 years gambling free,but i feel i am one of the lucky ones.Too many families are losing loved ones.Its time to stop to take our game back and get rid of all gambling sponsorship.

  523 of 600 Signatures

  Created by Kev Mailey
• Newcastle upon Tyne
  

  Newcastle Utd: Kick gambling ads out of football!

  There are 409 deaths related to gambling every year in England alone, with the North East been the highest and a YouGov study from this year shows that 2.9 million people are either already addicted or at risk of being so, with a further 3.3 million classified as “affected others”. These stark figures show what we already know: gambling harm is not an issue affecting just a small minority, it is severely harming – sometimes killing – many. To prevent any young fan from experiencing what, I went through as attempting to take my own life and so many others did, I'm urging Newcastle Utd to cancel all gambling partnerships, say no to any new offers, and back The Big Step campaign

  462 of 500 Signatures

  Created by Christopher Coyne
• Southampton
  

  Southampton FC: Kick gambling ads out of football!

  My husband had a lifelong addiction to gambling, which was spurred on by his love for football - especially Southampton FC. He passed away nearly 10 years ago now and I miss him every day, but memories of the harm caused by gambling have stayed with me. Every time I see a gambling advert in football it is a painful reminder of what this addiction stole from us. He supported Southampton all of his life and in his memory, I am urging his club to get rid of all gambling partnerships - especially on their shirt. I know the devastation caused by gambling and advertising played a huge role. There were many times he was trying to stop and would be lured back in by them. They need to be banned. There are 409 deaths related to gambling every year in England alone. A YouGov study from this year shows that 2.9 million people are either already addicted or at risk of being so, with a further 3.3 million classified as “affected others”. These stark figures show what we already know: gambling harm is not an issue affecting just a small minority, it is severely harming – sometimes killing – many. To prevent any young fan from experiencing what my husband and so many others did, I'm urging Southampton to cancel all gambling partnerships, say no to any new offers, and back The Big Step campaign.

  429 of 500 Signatures

  Created by Janice Powell
• 

  Sunderland A.F.C: Kick gambling ads out of football!

  My name is Joe, I am in recovery from a Gambling Addiction, and ever since my first game at Roker Park in 1995 I have been obsessed with football and in particular Sunderland Association Football Club. I ended up being correctly imprisoned for nearly 5 years after committing fraud to the value of around three quarters of a million pounds which I used to fund my gambling addiction. I am now approaching 6 years into my recovery from Gambling, attending Gambling Anonymous meetings weekly. I am passionate about my recovery and take it seriously for both myself and my loved ones. As part of the many stringent barriers to prevent any risk of relapse, I have not been back to the Stadium of Light since June 2017. On 26th April 2022 I was rather proud to write to what I still considered, my club, as I was led to believe that at the moment, due to my family still attending games, there is next to no promotion of Gambling apart from the obvious Sky Bet mentions due to the league sponsorship which is out of the club’s hands. My letter was to introduce to the club a campaign, close to my heart called, The Big Step. Their campaign is to end all gambling advertising and sponsorship in football, led by people harmed by gambling. They are part of Gambling with Lives, a charity set up by the families and friends of young people who have taken their own lives as a direct result of gambling. Sunderland A.F.C also have a recent past with the Gambling Industry, the club was made been aware of the potential harm gambling can cause to their supporters, both young and old. Following the club’s sponsorship with Dafabet (2015-2019), they were set to be replaced with BetDaq in 2019. However, GVC, who owned BetDaq pulled out of all their existing shirt sponsorship deals as part of their ‘Changing for the Bettor’ initiative as they stated they were dedicated to tackling harm caused by gambling. GVC committed to unilaterally ending all football shirt sponsorship deals with UK teams and banning perimeter board advertising at football grounds, to allow sporting fans to watch their favourite teams without seeing any incentives to bet. Next door to the Beacon of Light is now the home for the NHS Northern Gambling Service which has opened a new clinic in the Northeast which will see and treat more of the thousands of people across the north of England suffering with gambling addiction. On 29th June 2022, still having heard nothing from my club, it was announced that their new shirt sponsor was to be Spread-Ex. At this current time, I can never see myself ever returning to the Stadium of Light and have never felt as distant from the club I truly loved.

  414 of 500 Signatures

  Created by Joe Clarkson
• London
  

  Fulham FC: Kick gambling ads out of football!

  My name is Christopher Bilmes. I am recovering from addictions, including gambling, and have been in recovery for the last 13 years. I know first hand the effect that gambling has had on my own life, on the life of my family and my friends around me. It led to my bankruptcy and divorce, and to losing everything. It started innocently enough but, in time, got completely out of hand and I simply couldn't stop. Gambling companies have plenty of other places that they are visible (including on every high street in the country), but normalising something that is so potentially damaging, and having it as a partner for our club is not something Fulham FC should countenance any more. The decision to partner with a gambling company for the 2022/23 season is hugely disappointing and wrong. We don't promote cigarettes, we don't allow alcohol within the view of the pitch - and we shouldn't allow our team shirts and our club to be covered in the livery of a gambling sponsor. There are 409 deaths related to gambling every year in England alone and a YouGov study from this year shows that 2.9 million people are either already addicted or at risk of being so, with a further 3.3 million classified as “affected others”. These stark figures show what we already know: gambling harm is not an issue affecting just a small minority, it is severely harming – sometimes killing – many. To prevent any young fan from experiencing what I and so many others did, I'm urging Fulham FC to cancel all gambling partnerships, say no to any new offers, and back The Big Step campaign.

  380 of 400 Signatures

  Created by Christopher Bilmes
• Manchester
  

  Manchester City FC: Kick gambling ads out of football!

  My cousin killed himself over gambling debts at the age of 27. He was a big football fan so was bombarded with adverts for gambling while he was trying to stop. I don't want this to happen to anyone else so I volunteer with The Big Step and Gambling with Lives, a charity set up by the bereaved families of those who have killed themselves due to a gambling addiction. The charities are working to highlight to the Government, the harm that the rise of front of shirt sponsorship is causing and the damage that seeing such advertisements will do, especially to young kids as there are already 55,000 children identified as having a gambling addiction in the UK. Front of shirt sponsorship will only make this worse. There are 409 deaths related to gambling every year in England alone and a YouGov study from this year shows that 2.9 million people are either already addicted or at risk of being so, with a further 3.3 million classified as “affected others”. These stark figures show what we already know: gambling harm is not an issue affecting just a small minority, it is severely harming – sometimes killing – many. To prevent any young fan from experiencing what my cousin and so many others did, I'm urging Manchester City FC to cancel all gambling partnerships, say no to any new offers, and back The Big Step campaign.

  301 of 400 Signatures

  Created by Debbie M
• London
  

  Chelsea FC: Kick Gambling Ads Out of Football!

  My name is Steve and though my own lived experience of dealing with a relative who has been impacted by gambling harms I am now supporting the Big Step campaign for football to end it's toxic relationship with gambling. There are 409 deaths related to gambling every year in England alone and a YouGov study from this year shows that 2.9 million people are either already addicted or at risk of being so, with a further 3.3 million classified as “affected others”. These stark figures show what we already know: gambling harm is not an issue affecting just a small minority, it is severely harming – sometimes killing – many. To prevent any young fan from experiencing what our family and so many others have, I'm urging Chelsea FC to cancel all gambling partnerships, say no to any new offers, and back The Big Step campaign.

  287 of 300 Signatures

  Created by Steve W
• Wolverhampton
  

  Wolves FC: Kick gambling ads out of football!

  We lost our son Jack to gambling-related suicide in 2017. He was just 24 years old. Jack was a bright, popular, charismatic, and confident young man with his life ahead of him but gambling took that away from him. Gambling was his only problem - he was not vulnerable in any conventional sense of the word. He was a huge football fan and no doubt the harmful relationship between gambling and his favourite sport contributed to his addiction, including times when he was trying to cut down or stop. Gambling advertising in football and elsewhere is risking the health and the lives of millions of young people. I've been a fan of Wolves all my life but I struggle to support a club that continues to promote something so harmful - something that we know that can lead to death. I welcome that this season the club has finally moved away from a shirt-front gambling sponsor, but this is pointless in isolation as there is now a gambling company on the shirt sleeve and the club has other advertising partnerships with the industry. It has to stop, alongside an end to all gambling promotions inside Molineaux and around our pitch. After Jack's death, my wife and I co-founded and now co-chair Gambling with Lives, a charity representing and supporting a community of bereaved families. All of the young people that the families have lost to gambling suicides were bright, popular and happy people like Jack, but with just one problem: addiction to gambling. This suicide risk is real and substantial: recently Public Health England estimated that there are 409 gambling related suicides every year in England alone. A YouGov study from this year shows that 2.9 million people are either already addicted or at serious risk of being so, with a further 3.3 million classified as “affected others”. These stark figures show what we already know: gambling harm is not an issue affecting just a small minority, it is severely harming hundreds of thousands and killing hundreds every year. To prevent any other family from going through what ours and so many others have, I'm urging my club Wolves to cancel all gambling partnerships, say no to any new offers, and back The Big Step campaign to end all gambling advertising in football.

  255 of 300 Signatures

  Created by Charles Ritchie