By Laura Lambert For Mailonline
Published: 19:05 BST, 25 April 2019 | Updated: 19:05 BST, 25 April 2019
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Gambling firms have hit back at proposals from the bosses of Ladbrokes and William Hill to ban football shirt sponsorship, claiming such a move would 'not stop problem gambling'.
On Thursday night, 32Red remained defiant in the face of pressure from Britain's biggest betting companies and said it would not pull its deals with five Championship clubs and Rangers.
They highlighted the community work they do alongside their contracts with clubs and said that whilst efforts to make gambling safer would be welcomed, banning shirt sponsorship was not the best way to achieve this.
Gambling firms have hit back at proposals to ban football shirt sponsorship
Betway also stood by their partnership with West Ham, saying their shirt sponsorship and perimeter advertising was 'only ever a logo', not an offer or promotion, and that Alexander's proposed clampdown on TV advertising and kit deals was 'disingenuous'.
Kenny Alexander, chief executive of GVC - which owns Ladbrokes, Coral and Gala, has this week called for an all-out ban on TV gambling advertising during sports broadcasts, except in horse racing.
A whistle-to-whistle ban will be introduced in August in all live sport aside from racing, but Alexander wants this to be extended to any time of day.
He also agreed to voluntarily end GVC's pitchside advertising deals, and was joined by William Hill in agreeing to end the group's shirt sponsorship deals with football clubs.
Ladbrokes and Coral sponsor a number of sporting events, including the
