The English football league EFL has spoken out in favor of sponsoring football clubs by gambling and sports betting providers. As the second-highest league in the country announced in a statement on Sunday, responsible gambling will be promoted as part of the cooperation.

Promote responsible gambling

Together with the EFL sponsor Sky Bet, the league is therefore working to promote safe gaming. It would be specifically advertised on the players’ shirts. 70% of advertising also contains messages about safe gambling.

In this context, the EFL speaks out against a ban on sponsors from the gaming industry:

The connection between football and the betting industry has long been around. This connection presents an approach based on partnership and evidence to prevent gambling dangers. This is a lot more beneficial than the usual standard ban in any form.

The cooperation with gambling providers is also of great importance for English football. More than 40 million GBP (around 44 million euros) flowed from the gaming industry to the EFL and its clubs per season.

In particular, the effects of the Corona crisis, in which many clubs got into financial difficulties, made the importance of this partnership clear. While other sectors have benefited from government aid, the EFL expressed its disappointment in its statement that English football clubs had largely been on their own.

Is there a ban on gambling sponsors in football?

While the EFL advocates responsible cooperation between football clubs and gambling providers, this is subject to constant review. To this end, the EFL has also undertaken to work with the British government.

Sponsorship and the associated advertising for gambling and sports betting have recently been confronted with numerous critical voices in Great Britain.

Not too long ago, in the British House of Lords, the group Peers for Gambling Reform had been created to encourage a change of gaming guidelines from 2005. This asks to remove gambling promotion. In July, the Gambling Related Harm All Group has spoken in support of a prohibition on sports betting marketing on football t-shirts.

Whether there will be a ban on gambling sponsors in English football will be revealed in the course of the review of British gambling legislation. In September Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that he would take the review into his own hands together with his closest advisers. The first results are expected for the coming year.

Responsible gambling should be promoted not only in the sports betting arena but in all areas of the gambling industry. This includes casinos (land-based or online like xe88), lotteries, and other gambling activities.