As the UK government moves ahead with its review of the 2005 Gambling Act, a ban on agreements between professional clubs and betting operators is considered a likely outcome of the proceedings.
What is it?
Speaking to Elite Sports Marketing’s Michael Jackson , Shaun Simmonds, Managing Director of Superstar Digital, discussed the ties between the UK’s gambling legislation overhaul and the sports sponsorship sector.
What is being said?
“I’ll take you back to 2005,” Simmonds stated. “So essentially the overriding regulation in the betting and gambling industry is the Gambling Act of 2005, which completely changed the game in terms of allowing sponsorship, giving it the green light, but that was 16 years ago.
“Obviously over years that legislation has been updated and has had parts added to it. To compare it to buying a car, if you bought a car 16 years ago you’ve got new brake pads, you’ve changed the tires a few times, but 16 years later its no longer fit for what its supposed to do. When you factor in, back in 2005 the industry was made in retail, we’ve had a surge in online betting, there are now in-play markets, mobile apps – the world has changed.
“This has been met with open arms by people within the industry and by those who campaign against it, and it’s a good opportunity to bring things up to speed. The essential motivation behind it is to protect people. There’s obviously a perceived problem with problem gambling in the UK market, and this is a good opportunity to address any concerns and bring in new procedures and legislation to protect people.
“That does bring speculation – what will this review entail? What will the effect of this review be? There has been a call for evidence, to get as much evidence as possible in terms of what effect sponsorship has on problem gambling, such as ‘does it normalise gambling for children?’
Why should I watch it?
To learn about the impact of the gambling act review on betting sponsorship arrangements from an experienced professional in the sports marketing space.
Where can I see more?
Source – Michael Jackson YouTube Channel
