Premier League breaches gambling marketing code to children, report finds
Dater: 2024-09-26 Auteur: Robert Beloved Catégories: LES PARIS SPORTIFS
Amid changes to gambling laws in the UK, Premier League clubs have voluntarily adopted new rules designed to reduce gambling harm. These include a ban on bookmaker advertising on the front of shirts and other measures aimed at protecting vulnerable people and reducing the impact of gambling on children.
Breach of gambling advertising requirements
The new rules, drawn up by Premier League clubs in conjunction with the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), included restrictions on advertising. In particular, clubs have committed not to advertise their sponsors on content aimed at minors, including pages and groups for under-18s.
However, despite these measures, many clubs are failing to adhere to their own obligations. A recent report in The Guardian found that 10 out of 20 Premier League clubs were in breach of rules by continuing to advertise gambling on pages aimed at children and teenagers.
The Guardian and The Pitch Inspection conducted an investigation which found that some Premier League clubs were placing logos, links and other gambling advertising on underage pages and, in some cases, even on the children's sections of their sites.
Most clubs have since fixed the situation
According to the report, the under-18s pages of clubs including Chelsea, Liverpool and Leicester City contained links to betting sponsors. Specifically, Chelsea's youth team matches page and under-18s fixtures page both contained links to sponsor Betway.
Problems with gambling advertising were also found on the websites of Wolverhampton Wanderers and Brentford. Gambling sponsor logos were seen in the kids' sections of the clubs' online shops. In the case of Wolves, the online shop had a link directly to the Debet sponsor's website. At Brentford, the Hollywood Bets logo was visible in the kids' section of the site, although there was no direct link to the operator.
Despite voluntary guidelines, many clubs have failed to meet their advertising obligations, raising questions about the harm of gambling to young people and football fans.
However, some clubs, including Ipswich Town, Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool, Wolves, Brentford, Leicester City and Aston Villa, took action immediately after being contacted by The Guardian. These clubs have removed gambling advertising material and brought their websites into compliance with the new guidelines. However, the incident once again raises questions about the football industry's ability to self-regulate, especially in the absence of strict government regulations.
