The English Football League (EFL) strengthened its relationship with the betting industry amid political pressure. The support of the entity comes after indications that there will be a review of the rules for betting advertising and sports sponsorship agreements in the United Kingdom.
Culture secretary Oliver Dowden will launch a public consultation next month as the government plans to revise the 2005 Gaming Law.
The change could mean that betting companies are prohibited from forming partnerships to stamp their brands on the uniforms of English clubs, similar to something that is already in effect in Spanish football.
The English Football League, for its part, is defending the sports betting market, arguing that any and all sponsorship has always been carried out responsibly.
“The EFL continues to have an open and regular dialogue with all relevant stakeholders – including the Government – on football’s ongoing relationship with the gaming industry to ensure that its partnerships are activated responsibly,” says the statement.
“The association between football and the gaming industry is a long-standing one, with a collaborative and evidence-based approach to preventing harm in a much more beneficial way than a general ban of any kind.”
“Through a highly visible awareness campaign, EFL and Sky Bet work together to promote responsible gaming, with players from all three divisions wearing sleeve badges to encourage fans to consider how they play,” said EFL in its statement.
About English Football League
The English Football League (in Portuguese: Liga de Futebol Inglesa) is an organization that represents 72 professional clubs in England and runs the oldest football championship in the world. It also organizes the League Cup.
The entity was created in 1888 by 12 clubs and grew to reach 72 clubs in 1952. In 1992, however, due to financial reasons, the league’s leading members broke with the association to found a new competition: the Premier League.
Since then, the EFL Championship, the EFL League One, and the EFL League Two, 2nd, 3rd and 4th English divisions are the championships organized by the organization.
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