UK: 90% think gambling adverts in football should be regulated

A poll conducted for the Christian charity CARE found that two thirds of people believe there are too many gambling adverts during TV coverage.

UK.- Just days after the Primier League agreed to voluntarily end gambling sponsorship on the front of matchday shirts, a new poll shows public support for tougher controls. Ninety per cent of respondents said gambling advertising in football should be overseen by a regulator and 64 per cent believe there are “too many” gambling ads during TV coverage.

Meanwhile, 85 per cent of responsdents agreed a portion of gambling profits should go to fund services for people suffering addiction, and 90 per cent expressed support for checks to prevent people in financial difficulty from gambling. Two thirds believed gambling companies should be prohibited from offering VIP promotions.

The poll was conducted by Savanta for the Christian charity CARE. Adults in the UK were asked about a range of gambling-related issues. The charity said the survey showed “undeniable” support for stricter regulation of gambling advertising in football.

Tim Cairns, the charity’s gambling policy lead, said the survey “illustrates public support for tougher measures, including a levy on gambling company profits, better oversight of advertising in sport, and an end to unethical promotions.

He said: “We again urge the government to introduce a robust statutory levy on industry profits to help those harmed by industry products. If leaks are accurate and the levy is to be one percent of profit, this will not be enough to help.

“If the government are serious about introducing a levy that will bring change, then it must be set at five percent. This is the minimum required to begin to address the immense harms we are witnessing to individuals, families, and whole communities.

“The public want to see advertising in football properly regulated. It’s striking that nine in ten people want to see power given to a regulator to ensure that gambling during football matches is safe and doesn’t lead to more harm.

“People want to see the advertising during football matches reduced. During the average Premier League match a person sees 300 impressions of gambling companies. Two-thirds of the British public think that is too much. Change is needed.”

Premier League clubs last week confirmed that they had agreed to withdraw gambling sponsorship from the front of matchday shirts by the end of the 2025-26 season. The move was taken to try to head off calls for an all-out ban. Under the voluntary agreement Premier League clubs will still be able to feature gambling sponsorship on shirt sleeves and in grounds.

Eight English Premier league teams currently have gambling companies on the front of their shirts in deals estimated to be worth £60m a year. North of the border in Scotland, the SPFL is maintaining that individual sponsorships are “a matter for each club” and that there is no prospect of a Premiership-wide ban on shirt gambling sponsorship for the time being.

See also: Italy evaluates future of ban on gambling sponsorship in football