Bolton Wanderers Football Club is working to kick out gambling sponsorship in sport.
The football team, along with its charitable arm Bolton Wanderers in the Community, has pledged its support for ‘Against the Odds’.
The aim to shine a light on the prevalence of gambling marketing in sport and spark a movement with the aim of phasing out gambling sponsorship and advertising to protect children, young people, and vulnerable adults.
By signing up to the Against the Odds Charter, BWFC and BWitC will help to send a clear signal to other clubs about their duty of care towards fans and the need to reconsider existing relationships with gambling operators.
Bolton Wanderers’ chair Sharon Brittan
Bolton Wanderers’ chair Sharon Brittan said: “Gambling addiction can have a devastating effect on individuals and their families and communities, and that’s why Bolton Wanderers Football Club is pledging our formal support of the pioneering Against the Odds campaign by signing their charter.
“Last year, we made the decision to close the on-site betting facilities at the University of Bolton Stadium and committed to not enter into any new commercial partnerships or sponsorships with firms representing the gambling industry.
READ MORE: Bolton Wanderers cut betting links amid community efforts
“As a club with are proud of the role we play in our community and, along with Bolton Wanderers in the Community, we will continue to be a driving force in supporting the health and well-being of all the residents of our town.”
One in 15 Greater Manchester residents are currently experiencing gambling-related harms – enough to fill Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium two-and-half times over.
According to research, gambling logos can appear more than 700 times in a single football match – equal to more than six logos per minute. These logos appear on shirts, on training apparel, on perimeter advertising, behind dugouts and on press backdrops.
Michael Viggars, campaign lead for Against the Odds and project manager at Healthy Stadia said: “A huge congratulations to Bolton Wanderers FC and Bolton Wanderers in the Community for embracing the Against the Odds campaign and pioneering a future for sport that is free from gambling sponsorship and advertising.
Bolton Wanderers had a shirt sponsorship deal with gambling brand Betfred between 2017 and 2019
“The gambling industry often talks about ‘gambling responsibly’ but with every square inch of sports stadia being sold to advertise dozens of different sports betting brands it’s no wonder that we’re seeing more and more people suffering from gambling-related harms.
“With Bolton Wanderers leading the way in Greater Manchester and nationally, we believe we can start a movement to end gambling sponsorship in sport and prevent thousands of fans and their families from experiencing harm. We are Against the Odds and we need the support of clubs big and small right across Greater Manchester.”
Harms involved with gambling include poor wellbeing, anxiety, depression, debt, financial hardship, relationships breakdown, chronic stress, and suicide.
James Grimes is a former gambling addict. Now head of education at gambling-harm charities The Big Step and Gambling with Lives, he said: “Although I’m not originally from Greater Manchester, this city changed my life when I moved here in 2018 weeks into recovery from a twelve-year gambling addiction, so it really does mean the world to see the Against the Odds charter launch.
“The positive impact will be that people like me can go and watch sport in Manchester without being encouraged to do that thing that destroyed our lives.
“Future generations will thank the clubs involved for committing to this stance – they are on the right side of history.
“On behalf of The Big Step and the community of people harmed by gambling, I thank and applaud Healthy Stadia, GMCA and the clubs involved for putting people before profit.”
If you have a story or something you would like to highlight in the community, please email me at [email protected] or DM me on Twitter @lewisfinney18