100 signatures reached
To: Chelsea FC
Chelsea FC: Kick Gambling Ads Out of Football!
It has been reported that Chelsea are in advanced talks with the online casino Stake for a new one-year shirt sponsorship deal. If true, trying to squeeze in one last gambling shirt sponsor before they are forced to stop makes a mockery of the reasons why the Premier League chose to end such deals. To ignore all the harm caused by gambling for a few extra pounds is completely irresponsible.
I would like my club Chelsea to reject the front of shirt sponsorship from Stake or any other gambling operator. I would also want Chelsea FC to cancel all existing partnerships with gambling companies, to reject future partnerships and to back The Big Step campaign
Why is this important?
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.
