I’d much prefer it to be a centralised ruling, because let’s face it, most sides aren’t going to voluntarily turn down the kind of money on offer when they can’t necessarily get it from other sponsors.
How much of the insane transfer costs we’ve seen in the last 10 years are due to these betting companies?
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valid, I think the issue for me is alot of clubs in the lower leagues depend on the income, I need to find the source but I read somewhere there betting sponsorship for most clubs accounts for a very decent % of their total income and local firms simply don’t offer enough the difference.
It’s a sticky situation for sure. I’d be in favour of a centralised approach if there was financial support, which I think the PL and FA have the means to offer
Yeah, I appreciate that some people would label me a bit of an oblivious big club fan who hasn’t thought it through cos it doesn’t affect his club. Cos sure, we might be able to attract a top international airline to pump our bums so full of cash that it flows out of our mouths, but a lot of other clubs aren’t in that position and banning betting sponsors would lead to a measurable amd significant loss of income.
I guess my view is that it’s a big enough social ill to override concerns about the amount of cash clubs get. Like how I wouldn’t think that clubs needing the money was a good enough reason to let them be sponsored by Marlboro or Silk Cut.
Though I feel I’m am looking at this through a PL lens, not considering whether it might fuck lower leagues teams very hard. I have no idea if betting sponsors are as prominent further down the chain, I suppose on a superficial level I’d guess they’re at least as prevalent, likely more common than the top flight where there are more prestigious clubs.
I think aside from the idea of it promoting a bit of a social ill, there’s also the issue of many of these gambling companies looking like exceptionally dodgy outfits. Dodgy as in potentially being fronts/money laundering operations, not just ethically or morally dodgy. Think it was @shamrockgooner who shared a long arse article on it, I think I read about 80% of it before deciding I had a good enough grip of the issue to not see it through to the end lol
Probably a more complex an issue than I would like it to be haha. Particularly as I make no secret on here of my enjoyment of gambling. I just don’t like how it’s now inextricably linked with football and don’t think it’s healthy for a younger generation of fans coming through. When we grew up the link with gambling was nowhere near this, and I find it odd that younger generations really will grow up thinking that gambling and football are inextricably linked, when it doesn’t have to be that way.
These days, I view gambling advertising as being like tobacco advertising, in that it shouldn’t exist. I’d probably make a similar case for booze as well, tbh. So that’s three things I’m personally quite a big fan of haha
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That’s essentially the story Phillipe Auclair wrote 4-5 months ago I have linked a few posts back. Good to see a more mainstream source writing this now though.
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What do people think of ex footballers taking part in gambling adverts. Heard enough stories over the years of the problems its caused to players.
Not sure you can stop it as such but should the PFA for instance try too promote a policy of members or ex players not to take part.
Interesting that we dont have those players who have falling victim and go public on these things not really voice an opinion on this.
I don’t judge footballers, or anyone really, for featuring in these adverts. I wouldn’t promote a gambling company personally, but I appreciate we all draw different lines in the sand.
Despite being a regular gambler, I think that its advertising should be banned, given the large societal harm it causes. Adults can make informed decisions for themselves about gambling, like they can smoking or drinking, but I think its incredibly unhealthy for a generation to grow up thinking that gambling and football are inextricably linked, particularly given the fact that gambling websites are just a click away, it’s not like the old days when you’d have to go out of your way to visit a bookies to place a bet. It’s so much easier for people to become problem gamblers these days. When I was growing up, you had physical bookies and some gambling advertising, but I didn’t think gambling was inextricably linked to the sport, at all. It’s only once I was an adult that gambling firms starting dominating advertising and shirt sponsorship, and I think that’s a very negative development for the sport, and society generally.
But as long as it isn’t banned, and is plastered all over football teams shirts, the hoardings and the start and end of every ad break before, during and after a game, I don’t really judge footballers for featuring in these ads. For me, that’d be focusing on the symptom and not the actual disease.
But at the end of the day, there’s too much money for the clubs to back doing something about it, and we have MPs being “gifted” expensive, luxury tickets to sporting events by gambling firms, so I don’t see any significant change being likely, either in terms of actual legislation or rules imposed by sporting authorities.
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Also, I forgot to add that it’s not even like Ladbrokes or Willy Hill are sponsoring Premier League teams, it’s these incredibly obscure and dodgy betting sites that are essentially just poorly disguised money laundering outfits, which just adds an extra layer of disrepute to the whole affair.
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It’s insane that it was allowed in the first place!
Gambling is so interlocked with Sports here you would be surprised
I’m sure! I think it’s big here as well? I’m honestly not sure.
My old boss used to brag about making hundreds in a weekend on college football (American football). But he used FanDuel or something similar.
A few seasons ago in Scotland the league, league cup and Scottish FA Cup where sponsored by three different bookmakers lol. Ladbrokes, BetFred and William Hill
But did Ray Winstone cut an ad for each company? That’s the real question.
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He’s bet 365 
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Some of those ads (I think they’re his) were so weird. I used to pirate the audio from Arsenal games and listen along on a spin bike. Nothing like Ray Winstone growling in your ear during a workout “fancy a flutter?”
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Fucking yikes
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Holy shit.
Could Parliament get involved here to regulate this or do they have bigger fish to fry?