William Hill named title sponsor of Scottish Professional Football League

The gambling brand has sealed a five year deal with the SPFL.

UK.- William Hill has been named title sponsor of The Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) in a five-year deal to commence at the start of the next season. The 888-owned bookmaker will be title sponsor of all four SPFL divisions and official betting partner of the league. 

The SPFL divisions will be named the William Hill Premiership, William Hill Championship, William Hill League 1 and William Hill League 2. Meanwhile, the brand and the league have entered into a deal with EPIC Global Solutions to run what’s being described as a first-of-its-kind programme to raise gambling harm awareness in Scottish football for players, staff and supporters.

EPIC will run workshops at the SPFL’s 42 clubs to educate players and backroom staff on the risks of gambling harm in elite sports. EPIC will also run sessions for supporters and community groups at clubs that have Community Trusts. 

William Hill marketing director Michael Sheehan said: “We’re delighted to become title sponsor and Official Betting Partner of the SPFL, as well as launching a pioneering Gambling Harm Awareness programme, delivered by EPIC. 

“For decades, we at William Hill have loved Scottish football and its fiercely loyal and passionate fans. Now, building on our long-standing association with Scottish football, we are delighted to be playing our part in five exciting seasons of the SPFL.

“As a business, we place customer safety and responsible gambling at the heart of everything we do, and we are looking forward to delivering an extensive programme across SPFL clubs to educate and promote healthy and safe relationships with betting.”

SPFL group chief executive, Neil Doncaster said: “William Hill is a name long associated with Scottish football and we are enormously excited to have reached a long-term, record-breaking agreement with our new title sponsors. 

“This is tremendous news for our clubs and their fans, for the profile of the league and for Scottish football in general. In addition to the sponsorship with William Hill, our pioneering gambling harm awareness programme with EPIC will help to educate the communities across the 42 SPFL clubs on gambling harm prevention. 

“Everyone at the SPFL is looking forward to working with William Hill to promote the passion, drama and excitement of the league and its 42 clubs over the next five seasons, as well as the roll-out of our programme with EPIC.

“I would also like to place on record our sincere thanks to Cinch for its extremely positive contribution to Scottish football over the past three years and wish them and their management team the very best for the future.”

The deal is likely to prove controversial. South of the border, the English Premier League has agreed a ban on front-of-shirt gambling sponsorship but the English Football League is still sponsored by Sky Bet, in a deal extended until