Rick Parry, Chairman of the English Football League (EFL), which consists of the Championship, League One and League Two, has recently made a statement denying any correlation between betting company sponsorship and an increase in gambling or gambling-related harm. This assertion comes in the wake of criticism over football's relationship with gambling, which has been further escalated by recent bans on Premier League players Sandro Tonali and Ivan Toney.
According to Parry, research conducted by the EFL reveals no evidence to suggest that sponsorship from betting companies leads to an increase in gambling or gambling harm.
He made this statement in an interview with the PA News Agency, where he also defended the rights of EFL clubs to benefit from lucrative deals with betting operators.
Rick Parry, Chairman of the EFL, said:
“It’s only fair that there is a way of channelling some of that revenue into sport. So enabling sport to negotiate marketing agreements to get a share of the billions that are flowing in is something I have no difficulty with whatsoever as a concept."
“We’ve commissioned research, we’ve looked extensively and we haven’t seen any evidence that sponsorship leads to an increase in gambling or gambling harm."
“The values of gambling in England have been fairly steady across the decades and there is no direct correlation between sponsorship and gambling harm."
Research and education part of latest Sky Bet EFL deal
The EFL recently extended its longstanding partnership with Sky Bet, a move that has been met with mixed reactions. As part of this extension, Flutter, the parent company of Sky Bet, will invest £20m into research and education. This investment has been highlighted as a significant step towards promoting social responsibility within football.
EFL Chairman, Rick Parry, added:
“Educating players is something that we’ve been doing for at least the last five years and we’ll continue to do more of that."
“Frankly, it is never going to stop individuals from wanting to gamble. It is a fact of life, prohibition doesn’t work, so what you have to do is have a framework, that you educate, you behave responsibly, you do everything you can to minimise harm, but eliminating it is incredibly difficult."
Tonali joins Toney on the sidelines after betting charges
The relationship between football and gambling has been a topic of heated debate, with recent events adding fuel to the fire. Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali was handed a 10-month ban following his involvement in illegal betting activity in his home country of Italy.
Similarly, Brentford striker Ivan Toney received an eight-month suspension from playing football after placing a large number of bets during his career in the lower leagues. Toney later admitted to suffering from a gambling addiction at the time of his ban.
In light of these incidents, both England manager Gareth Southgate and Brentford boss Thomas Frank have called for increased support for players like Toney. They believe that more needs to be done to help players who may be struggling with gambling addiction, a problem that is becoming increasingly prevalent in the world of football.
However, Parry made clear that he believes the EFL has a right to benefit from such lucrative sponsorship deals.
EFL Chairman, Rick Parry, continued:
“It’s a problem that will continue to exist. We have to try to tackle it and address it, without in any way pretending it’s not there.
“But that said, that absolutely shouldn’t preclude us from entering into responsible and sensible marketing arrangements when gambling operators are making a huge amount of money out of sport, and have been encouraged to do so by successive governments.”
While the EFL Chairman's statement may provide some reassurance to clubs and fans alike, it is clear that the issue of gambling in football is far from resolved.
The recent bans on Tonali and Toney serve as stark reminders of the potential dangers of gambling addiction. As the debate continues, it is hoped that further measures will be taken to ensure the welfare of players and the integrity of the sport.
