Why Gambling Sponsorships Are Important To The Premier League

Gambling sponsorships in the English Premier League and all of football is a controversial subject. Although a recent poll by Survation found that a third of football fans are put off buying a kit if it has a betting sponsor on it, gambling sponsorships are actually very important to the football and Premier League. Find out why right here. 

Advantages of Gambling Sponsorships

The main advantage of gambling sponsorships in the English Premier League is that they supply the clubs with more money. Many gambling firms pay lots of money to sponsor an English Premier League club, providing them with plenty of funds which can be used to fund local training facilities, support players and the local community, and to support the upkeep of football club stadiums too.  

Much of the money also goes to managers, with English Premier League managers being some of the highest-paid managers in all of Europe. These extra funds help managers keep clubs in line and winning in the English Premier League. 

In addition to aiding football clubs part of the Premier League, the sponsorships also promote gambling firms including betting companies. This is great for the gambling firms as it means they can attract more customers to their betting shops or online casino and betting sites, and in turn make more profits.

Finally, since gambling sponsorships help promote betting shops as well as online and brick-and-mortar casinos, it essentially helps boost the economy since many people depend on jobs within the gambling industry and the UK Government receives plenty of tax revenue from these businesses. All of this, in the end, helps support you and your local community. 

Drawbacks of Gambling Sponsorships

Unfortunately, there’s been an ongoing debate on gambling sponsorships over the last few years. While they do provide English Premier League clubs with additional funding and players and managers with more money, many believe these sponsorships to be harmful.

For example, gambling sponsorships, which appear as ads on television, throughout a sports venue or on football kits, have been criticised for exposing underage and vulnerable people to gambling. Although they primarily target adults, there have been countless studies which have shown that children are exposed to sponsorships.

In addition to exposing gambling to children, these sponsorships also normalise gambling since it’s seen repeatedly throughout games and championships. What’s more, these sponsorships have been found in multiple studies to lead to problem gambling as they reportedly encourage viewers to place bets.

Thankfully, the UK Government, along with the UK Gambling Commission and plenty of other regulatory bodies have been imposing new rules which crackdown on exposure to gambling. This allows firms to continue promoting their brands and fund the English Premier League as well as all other football clubs while keeping those who are vulnerable safe.

While there are drawbacks to gambling sponsorships, new rules are making it safer and better than ever for those who are vulnerable to ads. In the end, however, gambling sponsorships are hugely important for football and the English Premier League, helping to fund clubs and keep them going. Without them, the EPL may not be as big as it is right now.