Tony Bloom backs ban on gambling sponsorships in Premier League

Tony Bloom is a legend in his own right and the Brighton & Hove Albion owner has urged everyone to come together and limit the exposure of gambling assets in the Premier League. Bloom argues that a new proposed ban on shirt sponsorships in the Premier League is a good thing and people should back it as well.

Bloom’s relationship with gambling is not exactly a hidden love affair. The man is known for his sports betting and poker habits, which have resulted in hefty winnings over the years. Bloom argued that while there is a place for gambling advertisement in football in general, he said that there is an urgency to ensure that at-risk and young people are protected from being exposed to too many gambling-related materials.

He argued that it’s bad for children to see shirts branded with gambling companies’ logos because most children would go and buy a shirt for example. He gave an example with Brighton & Hove Albion with the club being very scrupulous about the placement of gambling advertisements and how it might impact the audience.

Bloom acquiesced that the club ran gambling ads but did so in a cautious and careful way. Presently, the team has an active relationship with Betway as its official global betting partner, but the team has not featured the logo on shirts.

However, Bloom also cautioned that there was a strong financial incentive. Some of the lower-tier clubs have fewer options to generate revenue and as such, they need those partnerships in order to ensure that they remain competitive and can continue to improve.

Sometimes, those clubs would have to trade off integrity for the sake of a commercial opportunity that could bring bigger dividends. Even though Bloom didn’t really dig into the real reason why so many clubs actually consider such partnerships, it’s actually simple.

Traditional investors are not too keen on putting money into football clubs. This means that someone else should fill in the void, and that’s usually gambling firms that have clear synergies with the sport in the first place.

The United Kingdom is at crossroads as the resignation of Chris Philp and the appointment of Damian Collins have made observes uneasy whether the White Paper for the Gambling Act Review will actually hit its mark. New rules on gambling advertisements are certainly coming down the road, but clubs and the Premier League have a time window to enact meaningful changes as well.

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