English football has recently established a code of conduct for betting partnerships, following a series of such deals. This new development is set to impact all levels of both https://pin-up-online.pe/ men's and women's professional football.
The newly introduced code will apply to any betting partnerships engaged in by the clubs under the Football Association (FA). This includes teams from the Premier League, English Football League (EFL), and Women’s Super League (WSL). The implementation was necessitated by the Gambling Act review, which was published by the government in April last year.
Sponsorship arrangements have been a contentious issue throughout this nearly three-year-long review. Following the voluntary ban on front-of-shirt sponsorships from the 2024/25 season onwards by the Premier League, the authors of the review decided to implement this code as their primary recommendation.
However, it wasn't entirely well received with some reform advocates calling for stricter regulations or even an outright ban on any form of sponsorship between sports clubs and bookmakers.
A collective statement from all the professional leagues in England read:
“Following detailed cross-sport dialogue, the following code has been drafted by the Premier League, The English Football League, the Women’s Super League, and the FA as part of that commitment, to be applied across all of professional football and those matches played by clubs who are members of the competitions.”
"The leagues’ joint statement concluded: “English Football is committed to ensuring that gambling sponsorship is undertaken in a socially responsible manner and that the output of Gambling Related Agreements is suitably reinvested back into football and its communities."
“The Code recognises that the relationship between gambling and football must be conducted responsibly to protect supporters from gambling-related harm, as well as wider communities linked to football clubs across the country.”
Despite its narrower scope compared to what some critics wanted, this new code still holds football clubs accountable based on four key principles:
Clubs must commit to minimising exposure of gambling sponsorships in stadiums during match days. Promotion should remain limited to club websites and social media channels.
Clubs are required to offer player counselling on gambling addiction risks and establish appropriate channels for stakeholders to raise concerns about any Gambling Related Agreements.
Funds from gambling sponsorship must be safeguarded for activities delivered by associated charitable organisations promoting participation in sports and advancing social development.
Staff members and athletes should be informed about FA’s betting rules prohibiting direct or indirect betting on matches or competitions worldwide as well as betting on wider markets related to football.
The code also mandates the provision of education programmes, including specific ones tailored for younger footballers within Club Academies. These measures aim to maintain the integrity of football across all levels of competition.
This new code comes in the wake of several betting deals signed within English football, some of which have been met with criticism from certain segments of fans online. Crystal Palace have partnered with NET88, and Wolverhampton Wanderers with DE.BET and BetMGM.
Meanwhile, Southampton have partnered with Rollbit and BetMGM UK maintains partnerships with Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur.
This new code is a significant step towards regulating betting sponsorships in English football. It aims to protect players and fans alike while ensuring that such partnerships are conducted responsibly and ethically.
