August 19, (THEWILL) – A law that was introduced in Spanish football which bans betting sponsors from jersey sponsorship and from branding of football kits has resulted in a situation where as many as six of the 20 La Liga teams will be without any main kit sponsor as the 2021-2022 season begins.
After the first round of matches in the new campaign, only Real Betis, who switched from Betway to Finetwork, a Spanish telecoms firm, and Valencia, that left Bwin to take up Socios Fan Token, have managed to sign a new main sponsor to replace their forbidden betting sponsor based on the requirements of the law.
Spain implemented a strict Gambling Ad Restrictions act that prohibited gambling firms from being able to sponsor team stadiums, equipment, uniforms, and any other aspect of a football club. The declaration expands to restrictions that already prevent similar sponsorship on youth outfits.
All of these restrictions are part of the country’s Royal Decree on Advertising which mandates licensed gambling companies to only advertise between 1.00 am and 5.00 am daily.
In October last year, the Spanish Ministry of Consumer announced to all top-tier football teams with any sponsorship agreements already in place with gambling agencies and betting companies must be closed at the end of the 2020/2021 campaign. Clubs that had sport gaming firms as their primary jersey sponsors had to block or remove those marks based on the temporary ban that began on March 31.
The ban of betting sponsors could account for losses of around €80m for the Spanish professional football industry as a whole at a time when they are dealing with the effects of the pandemic on football clubs.
Teams still without a kit brand include Sevilla, one of the most prominent teams on the block, Alaves, Leganes, Granada, Mallorca, Osasuna, and Levante. None of them can have gaming companies on their shirts. However, the agreement will also impact all 17 teams that have some form of sponsorship deal with betting firms, like Betis who switched to Finetwork.
Yet, there are indications that gambling activities across Europe could lead to similar legislations elsewhere. A few other countries could outlaw betting sponsors for football kits, following in the steps of Spanish football.
However, in Great Britain where betting is very much a part of the sporting culture, for instance, Premier League chief executive Richard Masters had previously spoken out on the issue, saying back in February that he believed that while some regulation was needed, soccer clubs should be able to have sports betting partners.
He had said: “We’re not sniffy about the gambling industry. The Premier League has never had a betting relationship, but it’s our clubs that enter into shirt sponsorship. The whole area does need, I think, probably, slightly firmer regulation, particularly around the most vulnerable. But I don’t necessarily think that the answer should be that clubs should no longer have betting partnerships.”
Still, there is every likelihood that a ban on betting sponsors could happen in the EPL by the year 2023, or possibly a year later, even against the best wishes of Masters and without waiting to see how it plays out in Spain.
In a 2020 report of the House of Lords Select Committee that looked at the issue, they stated that: “Premier League clubs should not be allowed to have betting firms on their shirts.”
They said that such sponsors on Championship club shirts should be phased out by 2023 and that other sports should end shirt betting sponsorship in three years.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
