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ABSTRACT
Our commentary article continues the discussion recently initiated by Smith et al. on the relationship between gambling and professional football in England. In their vital contribution to Soccer and Society, they argue that a reconsideration of the relationship between football and gambling is required, highlighting the importance of prevention schemes of gambling harms for athletes, and maintaining the integrity of football. We respond by arguing that a reconsideration of the relationship between English football and gambling must go further to reduce the risk of harms to all stakeholders. The expansive, neo-liberal nature of the gambling market has rendered gambling omnipresent within English football, with the volume of gambling-related marketing in the game giving rise to concerns of harms which could be experienced by stakeholders. A full reconsideration of the harmful intersections between football and gambling would involve a significant change in regulation at societal level, thus protecting stakeholders and maintaining integrity.
Disclosure statement
Separately to this paper, JW and BF have received research funding from GambleAware. GambleAware is an independent charity that is funded by voluntary donations from the gambling industry in Great Britain. Neither GambleAware nor the gambling industry have had any influence over the research activities of JW or BF. JW has also received research funding from CBC News, impact funding from the ESRC, and seedcorn funding for conference travel from the British Academy.
Notes
1. Auclair, ‘In the name of charity’.
2. D’Urso, ‘Nottingham Forest agree shirt sponsorship deal’.
3. YouGov, ‘Which sports fans are most likely to have a bet?’.
4. Gambling Commission, ‘Gambling participation’.
5. Football Association, ‘Regulatory Commission’.
6. Smith et al., ‘Gambling, sports psychiatry, and disciplinary sanctions’, p. 2.
7. Ibid.
8. McQuade and Gill, ‘‘The role of loneliness and self-control’; Hing et al., ‘A review of research into problem gambling amongst Australian women’, Elton-Marshall et al., ‘Marital status and problem gambling among older adults’.
9. Yau and Potenza, ‘Gambling disorder and other behavioural addictions’.
10. See Yani-de-Soriano et al., ‘Can an Industry be Socially Responsible If Its Products Harm Consumers?’.
11. Smith et al., ‘Gambling, sports psychiatry and disciplinary sanctions’.
12. Cassidy, Vicious Games.
13. Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, A Safe Bet for Success.
14. Gambling Commission, ‘Statement of principles’.
15. Gambling Commission, ‘Industry Statistics’.
16. Reith, ‘Techno economic systems and excessive consumption’.
17. Whelan et al., ‘A casino in my pocket’.
18. Newall, ‘Dark nudges in gambling’.
19. Forrest and McHale, ‘Patterns of Play’.
20. Rawat et al., ‘What’s the Message?’.
21. Wheaton, Platform Gambling and the Redistribution of Wealth in the Land-Based Betting Industry.
22. Regulus Partners, ‘Gambling Advertising and Marketing Spend in Great Britain, 2014–17’.
23. Binde and Romild, ‘Self-Reported Negative Influence of Gambling Advertising in a Swedish Population-Based Sample’; McGrane et al., ‘What is the evidence that advertising policies could have an impact on gambling-related harms?’.
24. See note 20 above.
25. Betting and Gaming Council, ‘Review of Gambling Industry’s Voluntary “Whistle-to-Whistle” (W2W) Advertising Restrictions’.
26. Reith, ‘Techno economic systems’.
27. Van Schalkwyk et al., ‘When the Fun Stops, Stop’.
28. Newall et al., ‘Impact of the “when the fun stops, stop” gambling message on online gambling behaviour’.
29. Rossi et al., ‘New Season, More Self-Regulation’.
30. Shaffer and Korn, ‘Gambling and related mental disorders’; Binde, ‘‘Gambling in Sweden: the cultural and socio‐political context’; Goyder et al., ‘Tackling gambling related harms as a public health issue’.
31. Statista, ‘Value of English Premier League media rights deals worldwide from 2007 to 2025’.
32. EY, ‘Premier League: Economic and Social Impact’.
33. English Football League, ‘Q&A: EFL & Sky Sports broadcast rights agreement’.
34. English Football League, ‘Sky Bet signs five-year title partnership extension with EFL’.
35. Stoke City, ‘Directory’.
36. Starlizard. ‘Who We Are’.
37. See: Fox, ‘Hugely disappointing for top football clubs to have gambling logos on shirts’, and D’Urso, ‘Nottingham Forest’. The shirt sponsorship deal between Nottingham Forest and Kaiyun Sports was announced after the 2023/2024 season had started.
38. Premier League, ‘Premier League statement on gambling sponsorship’.
39. Culture, Media and Sport Committee, ‘11 July 2023 – Gambling regulation’.
40. Purves et al., ‘Examining the frequency and nature of gambling marketing in televised broadcasts of professional sporting events in the United Kingdom’.
41. Torrance et al., ‘Gambling, cryptocurrency, and financial trading app marketing in English Premier League football’.
42. Rossi et al., ‘New Season’.
43. Binde and Romild, ‘Self-Reported Negative Influence’; McGrane et al., ‘What is the evidence’.
44. D’Urso, ‘Special report’; Auclair, ‘In the name of charity’.
45. A ‘white label’ provider is an operator which provides gambling services within Great Britain, but can then rent out or provide these services to a marketing partner which does not have a licence to operate gambling services. For example, an overseas gambling operator can provide its services through the licence of a ‘white label’ provider that is in turn licenced by the Gambling Commission.
46. Harris, ‘EXCLUSIVE: Manchester City’s partnership’.
47. See note 15 above.
48. YouGov, ‘Which sports fans’.
49. See note 4 above.
50. Gosschalk et al., ‘Annual GB Treatment and Support Survey 2022’.
51. Deans et al., ‘The influence of marketing on the sports betting attitudes and consumption behaviours of young men’.
52. MacInnes, ‘Norwich City axe BK8 sponsorship deal’.
53. Ingle, ‘Chelsea fans voice opposition to sponsorship deal’.
54. Chelsea Supporters’ Trust, ‘Primary Shirt Sponsorship Update’.
55. The Big Step, ‘About The Big Step’; Football Supporters Against Gambling Ads. ‘Real fans for real change’.
56. Forest Green Rovers, ‘FGR Back Campaign to End Gambling Ads’; Errington, ‘Plymouth Argyle have several choices in decision over new main club sponsor’.
57. Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, ‘Review of the Gambling Act 2005’.
58. See note 13 above.
59. Betting and Gaming Council, ‘New Research Reveals Shocking Size of Black Market’.
60. Noyes, ‘The Nanny and the Night Watchman’.
61. EFL, ‘Sky Bet signs five-year title partnership’.
62. Yani-de-Soriano et al., ‘Can an Industry be Socially Responsible’.
63. Culture, Media and Sport Committee, ‘11 July 2023’.
64. BGC, ‘It’s great to see @kindredgroup brand @unibet working with one of Scotland’s top clubs’.
65. Brentford, ‘We’re All Home’.
66. Rossi et al., ‘Gambling Act review’.
67. Moniteur Belge, ‘Arrêté royal determinant les modalités relatives à la publicité pour les jeux de hasard’.
68. Dutch Government, ‘Besluitongerichtereclamekansspelen op afstand’.
69. Il Presidente dellaRepublicca, ‘DecretoDignità’.
70. BoletínOficial del Estado, ‘Real Decreto 958/2020’.
71. See note 26 above.
72. McGrane et al., ‘What is the evidence’.
73. See note 60 above.
74. Premier League, ‘Premier League statement’.
75. Nyemcsok et al., ‘Young people’s recall’.
76. Sharman et al., ‘Exposure to Gambling and Alcohol Marketing’.
77. Crisp and Swerissen, ‘Critical processes for creating health-promoting sporting environments’; Viner and Macfarlane, ‘Health promotion’; Vinberg et al., ‘Gambling and gambling problem among elite athletes and their professional coaches’.
78. Håkansson et al., ‘Problem gambling and gaming in elite athletes’.
79. Smith et al., ‘Gambling, sports psychiatry, and disciplinary sanctions in English professional football’.
80. Derevensky et al., ‘Problem gambling and associated mental health concerns in elite athletes’.
81. Rash and Petry, ‘Psychological treatments for gambling disorder’.
82. See note 79 above.
83. Manoli, Mapping of Corruption in Sport in the EU.
84. See note 79 above.
85. Palmer et al., ‘Public stigma and the label of gambling disorder’; Brown and Russell, ‘What can be done to reduce the public stigma of gambling disorder?’; Quigley, ‘Gambling disorder and stigma’.
86. Villeneuve and Aquilina, ‘Who’s fault is it?’.
87. Bradstreet et al., ‘Internalised stigma in mental health’.
88. Jennings et al., ‘How are perceived stigma, self-stigma, and self-reliance related to treatment-seeking?’; Palmer et al., ‘Public stigma and the label of gambling disorder’.
89. Forrest and Maennig, ‘The threat to sports and sports governance’.
90. Hill, ‘A critical mass of corruption’.
91. Forrest, ‘The Threat to Football from Betting-Related Corruption’; Van Rompuy, ‘The role of the betting industry’; Gardiner et al., ‘Integrity and the corruption debate in sport’.
92. Nowy and Breuer, ‘Match-fixing in European grassroots football’.
93. Hill, ‘How gambling corruptors fix football matches’.
94. Esoimeme, ‘Identifying and reducing the money laundering risks’.
95. Leukfeldt and Kleemans, ‘Cybercrime, money mules and situational crime prevention’.
96. Forrest, ‘The Threat to Football’; Forrest and Maennig, ‘The threat to sports’; Gardiner et al., ‘Integrity’.
97. See Deutscher et al., ‘Match fixing and sports betting in football’; or Forrest and McHale, ‘Using statistics to detect match fixing in sport’.
98. See note 79 above.
99. Ireland et al., ‘Exploring fields of power’.