© Getty Images/Shaun Botterill Stop profitting from fans’ gambling losses, Football League told – Getty Images/Shaun Botterill
A group of MPs and peers have written to the English Football League demanding it end its long partnership with Sky Bet following the revelation clubs have been taking a cut of the money fans lose with the bookmaker.
The letter, addressed to EFL chairman Rick Parry, described the recent disclosure as the “final straw in a relationship that has clearly gone too far” and called for him to take “immediate action” to stop the practice.
Under Sky Bet’s title sponsorship of the Championship, League One and League Two, clubs were entitled to a share of their supporters’ losses as part of an “affiliate partnership” with the bookmaker.
The arrangement, which lasted six years, was scrapped three years ago but the EFL admitted some teams had continued to receive “legacy” payments and would do so until its contract with Sky Bet expired in 2024.
There are fears some Premier League clubs have similar “affiliate” deals and there have been calls for the Government to intervene via a much-delayed update to the Gambling Act that itself is in danger of being shelved.
The letter to Parry was signed by Liberal Democrat peer Lord Foster of Bath, a former government minister and the chair of Peers for Gambling Reform, Labour MPs Sir George Howarth, Rebecca Long-Bailey, Dan Carden, Zarah Sultana, and Kim Johnson, and the Scottish National Party’s Ronnie Cowan.
They wrote: “We are writing to urge you to take immediate action on the relationship between gambling and football, following the revelation that the EFL’s sponsorship deal with Sky Bet has resulted in clubs taking a cut of their own fans’ gambling losses.
“Despite assurances this arrangement has been phased out, it is understood some clubs will still receive legacy payments under this deal until 2024.
“With the vast amount of gambling profits coming from a small percentage of customers, we know how much of this money will come from addiction, from destroyed families and from those who have taken their life due to gambling. As a group of parliamentarians absolutely committed to preventing gambling harm, we were shocked to discover that fans are being exploited in this way.
“There are millions of people either at risk or already addicted to gambling in the UK and many more being severely harmed by a gambler’s addiction. Worst still, Public Health England estimates there are 409 yearly gambling-related deaths in England alone, more than one every day. It is undeniable that football is so often the starting point that draws young people into years of harm for them and their loved ones.”
They added: “We know that the largest perpetrator of gambling harm is not football clubs, it’s gambling companies who exploit the sport and fans for obscene profit. The Sky Bet sponsorship of the Football League means that all 72 clubs are essentially forced to advertise gambling on their shirts, in their stadiums and on their websites – even if they don’t want to. This is unacceptable and this latest development is the final straw in a relationship that has clearly gone too far. Only last year, Sky Betting and Gaming was fined £1.2 million by the Gambling Commission for sending 100 ‘free spins’ to self-excluded gamblers, many of whom were recovering from gambling disorder.
“We are not asking clubs repay any financial benefit from this harmful arrangement, nor are we trying to stop fans having a bet on the football. We are asking that as a matter of urgency that the EFL: 1. End any legacy payments to EFL clubs from the deal with Sky Bet to profit from gambling losses. 2. End EFL’s partnership with Sky Bet when it is due for renewal in 2024 and not replace them with another gambling partner.
“More broadly, we also urge you to do the right thing and voluntarily begin the process of ending all gambling advertising and sponsorship in the EFL.”
The EFL and Sky Bet have been approached for comment.
A spokesman for the league said last month: “When the EFL and Sky Bet renewed its longstanding partnership for the 2019-20 season, we placed a greater focus on putting safer gambling at the heart of the agreement. As a result, the previous affiliate scheme was discontinued.
“While some clubs do receive revenue from legacy sign‑ups that occurred prior to the new agreement, the affiliate scheme in place was phased out and all sign‑up links via EFL Digital channels have been removed.”
Sky Bet said its partnership with the EFL was modified in 2019-20 “with a clear focus on safer gambling and engaging fans responsibly”, adding: “We are committed to safer gambling – for instance becoming the first operator to introduce strict limits on under 25s – and are supportive of evidence-led measures being introduced as part of the upcoming Gambling Act review.”