Lords Reject Gambling Sponsorship Ban in UK Football
The House of Lords has voted down an amendment seeking to ban gambling sponsorships and advertising in English football.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:On Monday night, during the discussion on the UK's Football Governance bill, the House of Lords rejected the amendment to outlaw gambling sponsorships by 339 to 74.
Liberal Democrat politician Lord Addington proposed the amendment, which recommends that the Independent Football Regulator (IFR) phase out gambling-related advertising and sponsorships in English football upon its establishment.
According to Lord Addington, gambling ads have spiraled out of control and have reached absurd levels that "none of us would even have suspected 20 years ago."
Major Opposition to Gambling Sponsorship Ban
However, the result of the vote indicates that the majority of members do not support Addington's view on gambling sponsorships.
Baroness Fox of Buckley opposed the amendment for several reasons. First, she argued that the football bill's original aim was to create a regulator that would address the financial struggles of smaller football clubs and that banning gambling advertising would be particularly damaging to these clubs.
Additionally, Fox warned that prohibiting gambling sponsorships would lead to a regulator that is overly politicized.
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Bill to Establish Independent Football Regulator
Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay supported Fox's stance, adding that the amendment had far-reaching potential consequences that extended beyond the bill's original scope.
The Football Governance Bill was first introduced in the House of Lords in October. It proposes the establishment of an independent football regulator to govern the sport and address matters like club licensing.
The bill cleared the committee and report stages in early March and has been the subject of intensive debate in the House over the past two weeks.
Baroness Twycross, the UK's minister for gambling and sponsor of the bill, acknowledged concerns about gambling sponsorship in football but pointed out that the government has already tasked the industry with improving standards to ensure responsible and proportionate advertising.
The Premier League has already taken a significant step to reduce gambling's influence in English football. In April 2023, the league's governance decided to remove betting company logos from the front of team jerseys from the 2026-2027 season.
The bill now heads to the House of Commons, where it will undergo first and second readings, followed by committee and report stages, and a final third reading. It will then be open to final amendments before facing a decisive vote in the House of Commons.
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