On May 18, 2023, Brentford striker Ivan Toney was banned from all football-related activity for eight months due to over 230 counts of breaking the Football Association’s rules on betting. The alleged offences took place over four years between 2017 and 2021.
The Timing of the Ban
The ban came just after Toney had enjoyed another successful season at Brentford, netting 12 goals with five assists, a season in which the shirt Toney wore was decorated with a massive ad for ‘Hollywood Bets’, a South African company that deals in online sports betting.
By modern standards, in the world’s most watched and celebrated league, one sponsor to promote gambling is tame. Gambling advertising runs through almost every facet of Premier League clubs, and with cries from the Government as well as fans and activists, that relationship seems to be coming to an end.
In 2023, a survey conducted by Sportcal found that 40% of Premier League clubs wear gambling sponsors on the front of their shirts, with a combined annual revenue of £69 million.
The Premier League’s Upcoming Ban on Gambling Sponsors
Now, how much of that is seen by the clubs and the league varies from contract to contract, but it is safe to say it is a pretty lucrative windfall for teams. So why is the Premier League banning all front-of-shirt sponsors from the summer of 2026?
Football and gambling have always had a mutually beneficial relationship. Punters put a fiver on their ACCAs each Saturday while gambling monoliths sponsor things like a club’s stadium and shirts, sometimes keeping that club afloat.
The Hidden Dark Side of Gambling
However, as with many vices, there is always a darker side hiding in plain sight, and according to YouGov, 23% of football fans admit to betting in some form more than once a week and, in the broader survey, it was discovered that over 2.4 million young men in the UK are at risk of gambling addiction.
Combine these two factors with the incessant amount of logos, deals, and adverts shown in and around football, and it paints a grim picture. The Premier League has long since faced pressure from companies to do something about sponsors and promotions. Companies such as Gamble Aware and the FSA (Football Supporters Association) have been very vocal in their opposition to sponsorships.
Campaigns for Safer Gambling
Even teaming up with the help of former Liverpool player Luis Garcia to promote safer gambling, a spokesperson said, ‘This campaign aims to speak out and raise awareness to impulse betting, to encourage moderation and reduce gamble related harm by getting fans to reconsider their betting behaviour’. This might look great in a press release or paraded around before a crucial match.
The Role of Gamble Aware
But at the core, Gamble Aware is one of the UK’s leading charities that helps young people with betting problems. Facing against the behemoth of the Premier League and its sponsors might, at some points, feel akin to David and Goliath. But with the support of fans and players alike, they appear to have won the fight.
Now, it’s easy to look at Toney and many others as examples of the hypocrisy surrounding gambling in football. Still, the truth is that its effects triple down to millions of young men and boys who, without the proper education, risk going down a dangerous path. Therefore, the idea of the League finally listening to fans and charities is fresh air that will face minimal obstruction.
Fan Support for Removing Gambling Sponsorships
According to another YouGov survey conducted this season, 77% of football fans favour removing sponsors from the front of shirts, with 68% supporting the removal of sponsors from the team’s sleeves. The removal of these sponsors, therefore, seems to have been more a case of when than if, and only time will tell how well the clubs and leagues are at keeping to their promises.
