The Government is set to ban betting firms from sponsoring football shirts following its review of gambling laws.
Sportsmail understands that outlawing front-of-shirt logos of gambling companies is almost certain to be one of the proposals included on a white paper to be published this winter.
A wider ban on betting advertising in sport — including pitchside hoardings and TV commercials — is under consideration but is less likely at this stage.
The Government is set to ban betting firms from sponsoring football shirts (pictured: West Ham sponsored by betway left, Wolves sponsored by ManBetX right)
Newcastle (Fun88, left) and Southampton (Sportsbet.io, right) are two more Premier League clubs with front-of-shirt gambling sponsors
This season, nine of the 20 Premier League clubs have gambling companies as their front-of-shirt sponsor, as well as another six teams in the Championship. Those deals are estimated to be worth a combined £100million a year.
A recent study also found that all but one of the Premier League clubs partner with betting firms in some way, as do 15 Championship sides. Such deals could be allowed to continue with MPs keen to protect the finances of less affluent clubs.
A source close to the review said: ‘We are pretty sure there is going to be an end to front-of-shirt advertising. Everybody is expecting that. Reformers want more but a lot of politicians are worried about the lower leagues.
‘The Government thinks front-of-shirt will catch the headlines and it will feel like it has made a bold statement.’
A review of the 2005 Gambling Act was launched by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) in December 2020 and the call for evidence closed in March.
The Government’s white paper — a policy document setting out proposals for future legislation — is due to come out at the end of this year or in early 2022.
Newly-promoted Watford are sponsored by Stake.com at the front of their first-team shirts
There will then be a three-month consultation period before the bill goes to Parliament, meaning any changes affecting sports teams are unlikely to come into effect until 2023 at the earliest.
A DCMS spokesperson said: ‘We are determined to tackle problem gambling in all its forms and will build upon our strong track record of introducing measures to protect those at risk.’
Chris Philp was appointed as the new Gambling Minister on Wednesday and is thought to be keen on reform, as is new Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries.
The all-party parliamentary group for gambling-related harm (GRH APPG) published a report last year recommending a ban on betting advertising in sport.
