September 16: The future of unlicensed online betting and gaming companies that use football for promotion looks increasingly likely to face a regulatory ban in the UK, but anti-gambling lobbyists are now calling for any new regulation to go further and ban gambling advertising altogether.
The cost to English professional football could reach $200 million per season if the rules were followed. The Premier League, in its first season without gambling sponsorship on the front of its shirts, is losing around $100 million per season.
The call for a total ban on gambling ads comes from research consortium Local Health and Global Profits (LHGP) which has lobbied the UK regulator at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). They have also called for gambling advertising to be restricted on online and digital platforms.
The UK’s Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has been quick to react, saying UK regulated operators are already under pressure from regulators.
“Gambling and gambling advertising in the UK is already subject to some of the strictest rules anywhere in the world, and BGC members are going much further with additional voluntary measures designed to protect young people and vulnerable adults,” a BGC spokesperson told SBC News.
“Licensed operators must comply with strict advertising rules, including enhanced age targeting online, while around 20% of BGC members’ advertising is dedicated to safer betting messages.”
Focusing on the regulation of licensed operators is somewhat counter-intuitive, while illegal and unlicensed platforms still hold a significant proportion of the UK betting market. A complete ban on advertising would likely further expose players to illegal platforms rather than keeping them within the legal, safer and highly regulated environment.
The BGC estimates that the illegal gambling market will account for £800m in Premier League betting this season and that advertising spend for unlicensed operators will surpass that of the licensed sector by 2028.
Importantly, he noted that a complete ban would not make gambling go away, but would further expose consumers to these illegal platforms.
“A blanket ban on advertising by regulated operators would not make the game go away. It risks giving a significant competitive advantage to illegal operators who ignore advertising rules, offer none of the protections required in the regulated sector and are increasingly using online platforms to target UK consumers,” said a BGC spokesperson.
Just last weekend, Premier League Sunderland unveiled a new sleeve sponsorship with unlicensed betting and crypto platform Shuffle. The club are still looking for a front shirt sponsor for the current season after W88 were forced to cut ties under the new guidelines.
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