The ethics of betting companies as football shirt sponsors

padzilla

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Is anybody else uncomfortable with how many football teams are now sponsored by betting companies?
I know Man United turned down a deal with Mansion a few years back on ethical grounds, a rare occurance of course. But it seems like the majority of football clubs are sponsored by bookies these days, given the dangers of gambling and how impressionable kids are is it a good idea?
 

Rado_N

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Yup, and it’s awful.
BT Sport have Bet365 adverts laid over live broadcasts as games are about to kick off, and then as they return from ad breaks as well.

It's shoved down your throat constantly, and the 'gamble aware' nonsense doesn't detract from it at all.
 

bk1991

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It's definitely troubling. Gambling addiction is a destroyer of lives, the ubiquity of Gambling adverts during and around matches must have an effect on the people watching.

Invariably the most vulnerable people in society are hit hardest by gambling problems, just look at the number of betting shops in the poorer parts of cities compared to the wealthier neighbourhoods.
 
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T_Model101

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Is it the same in other countries?
The normalization of gambling is quite sickening I think, nearly every guy I know has accumulators on every week
 

TheFlagStaysDown

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Like they stopped advertising of tobacco companies in F1 ages ago, they should do the same with betting companies in football and world sports. Would say addiction to gambling is even more dangerous
 

SirAF

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Is anybody else uncomfortable with how many football teams are now sponsored by betting companies?
I know Man United turned down a deal with Mansion a few years back on ethical grounds, a rare occurance of course. But it seems like the majority of football clubs are sponsored by bookies these days, given the dangers of gambling and how impressionable kids are is it a good idea?
:D
 

duffer

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I'm not sure how much of an impact football sponsorship really has on peoples behaviour. Gotta go, I'm off to buy a McDonalds with my Visa card and then have a nice bottle of Budweiser.
 

Nick7

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Agreed. I think it's awful it's so prevalent in football especially when you hear the horror stories of lower league footballers falling into gambling addiction
 

IrishRedDevil

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If you gamble and are swayed or triggered by sponsorships and adverts then I’m sorry, but that individual is likely to gamble anyway even without the triggers as gambling is an addiction. We cannot blame adverts or sponsors. It’s individual choice and we are all told to gamble responsibility. Do I buy a Chevrolet as they are on the United jersey? No.

Humans need to stop looking for excuses for everything.
 

Sweet Square

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Er...the premier league winners are owned by a family dictatorship, there are no ethics in football.
 

Fergies Gum

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Gambling addiction has ruined far too many lives. How many more million of lives to be destroyed will it take for action to be taken.

You just to need to look at how the government is dragging its feet on changes to the FOBT limit to realise they aren't serious about the issue.
 

Adisa

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Footballers wear betting logos on their jerseys but aren't allowed to bet.
It doesn't make sense. They should be nowhere near football.
 

Snow

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Is it the same in other countries?
The normalization of gambling is quite sickening I think, nearly every guy I know has accumulators on every week
Gambling is banned here apart from the one company. Don't ask me why.

We now have that company advertising during matches something that wasn't allowed before. Lots of betting companies that want to throw money at us (the TV station) to advertise but they aren't allowed. Perhaps for the good but since the one company is allowed to advertise it would be better to get more money out of it.
 

Todd

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I'd be more bothered by clubs using Fly Emirates as a sponsor, if I were bothered by any of it.
 

Flytan

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Not as long as Qatar Airways/Fly Emirates are allowed. Literally supported by slave labor and been connected to terrorism.

Not to mention football itself has plenty of ethical issues. Not sure why people care about gambling.
 

Hansa

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The normalization of gambling is quite sickening I think, nearly every guy I know has accumulators on every week
When I think of it, ever since I began listening to live footy on BBC Radio in the 1980s, even they quoted bookies in their shows. "After today's defeat, United are now 9/2 outsiders to win the league, etc".
 

Reddy Rederson

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The thing I find most egregious, is the million and one adverts at every opportunity. They make it look like betting is cool, and if you aren’t doig it you’re a loser. And then they have the audacity to take about betting responsibly. It’s almost as bad as old smoking ads that created the image of smoking is cool. Is playing on peoples bad habits. ‘Look at this amazing scene that you’re not apart of. Don’t you feel bad for not being a part of the worlds premier sports betting company?’.

Like smoking, betting doesn’t need adverts. People smoke, people drink, people bet. There’s just no need for the bombardment of betting adverts that sport gets. Got feel sorry for anyone with an addiction to betting that can’t even watch a single game without having their will power severely tested.
 

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Not as long as Qatar Airways/Fly Emirates are allowed. Literally supported by slave labor and been connected to terrorism.

Not to mention football itself has plenty of ethical issues. Not sure why people care about gambling.
(1) Please don't ask my opinion about the role of the US in the Middle-East!
(2) Maybe because gambling can destroy some individuals and some families.
 

luke511

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To be fair if you ask all of people who have lost everything gambling I'll bet the vast majority of them won't have lost it on sports betting.
 
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pacifictheme

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I'm not sure how much of an impact football sponsorship really has on peoples behaviour. Gotta go, I'm off to buy a McDonalds with my Visa card and then have a nice bottle of Budweiser.
Well you don't have to move to bet do you? Much easier.
 

luke511

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The thing I find most egregious, is the million and one adverts at every opportunity. They make it look like betting is cool, and if you aren’t doig it you’re a loser. And then they have the audacity to take about betting responsibly. It’s almost as bad as old smoking ads that created the image of smoking is cool. Is playing on peoples bad habits. ‘Look at this amazing scene that you’re not apart of. Don’t you feel bad for not being a part of the worlds premier sports betting company?’.

Like smoking, betting doesn’t need adverts. People smoke, people drink, people bet. There’s just no need for the bombardment of betting adverts that sport gets. Got feel sorry for anyone with an addiction to betting that can’t even watch a single game without having their will power severely tested.
There's a huge amount of competition in the sports betting industry, marketing is very necessary for them. When it comes to sports betting I'm not against it, the bookies offer a fair market and it makes a good hobby if done responsibly. Adverts for casino games and slots is a whole other story though, hate that shit with a passion.
 

The Purley King

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To be fair if you ask all of people who have lost everything gambling I'll bet the vast majority of them won't have lost it on sports betting.
Very true. Online casinos are way worse.
The reason the ads work at half time is they will say something like “rashford to score next 5/1”.
If he doesn’t then people forget it. If he does then a certain percentage of people will think “shit I should have had a tenner on that” next time there is an odds boost at half time I’ll have a punt.
The human brain is very good at remembering certain events and forgetting all the times it doesn’t happen.
 

Kag

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It's not great. Just because there are other shirt sponsors questionable in their own right it doesn't detract from the issue of betting companies being paraded everywhere.

I've seen first hand the problems it can cause, and while the person placing the bet is ultimately responsible, you can't help but feel slightly uneasy about its over exposure.
 

yumtum

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I'm not sure how much of an impact football sponsorship really has on peoples behaviour. Gotta go, I'm off to buy a McDonalds with my Visa card and then have a nice bottle of Budweiser.
You're probably joking, but there's a reason companies pay millions on advertising.
 

Flytan

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(1) Please don't ask my opinion about the role of the US in the Middle-East!
(2) Maybe because gambling can destroy some individuals and some families.
1) I didn't and the region has been well messed up centuries, but most US people want us out of there too anyways
2) So can alcohol, obesity, porn, religion, driving, and modern medicine, but I'm not against any of those being legal either
 
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C'est Moi Cantona

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Bookies make a profit and want to spend it, if people choose to throw their wage packet/benefits at it on the back of that then the advertising has clearly worked.

Not saying it's right, but people have a choice, and shouldn't need spoon feeding through life.
 

Hansa

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If he doesn’t then people forget it. If he does then a certain percentage of people will think “shit I should have had a tenner on that” next time there is an odds boost at half time I’ll have a punt.
Must be horrible to have that kind of predisposition. I've never been a gambler, but I remember the one time a few decades ago where I wasted a few hundred quid on a slot machine, because i "knew" that it was about to burst. It didn't, of course, and fortunately I just cut my losses and accepted defeat, and never tried to regain what I had lost.

In addition, it's not just the commercials. Once you're a heavy gambler, the companies will contact you, offer you gifts, special offers and whatnot, just to keep the money flowing in. I've read some pretty disturbing accounts of how people have tried to make a clean break, but have been hauled back in by agents, treating you as a special "friend" of the company.
 

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Bookies make a profit and want to spend it, if people choose to throw their wage packet/benefits at it on the back of that then the advertising has clearly worked.

Not saying it's right, but people have a choice, and shouldn't need spoon feeding through life.
But why ban cocaine, heroine, steroids? People are old and wise enough to choose (as you say), there's no reason to spoon feed them.
 

Tiber

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Can't say it bothers me to be honest. Betting is part of everyday life in this country, walk down any highstreet and you will see betting shops.... why should the line be football tops?
 

C'est Moi Cantona

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But why ban cocaine, heroine, steroids? People are old and wise enough to choose (as you say), there's no reason to spoon feed them.
Things in life are addictive, that's just the way it is, I am weak so like alcohol and the odd bet, but I have no issue with the producers of this paying handsomely to advertise the product though, it's up to me to decide.
 

Ecstatic

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1) I didn't and the region has been well messed up centuries, but most US people want us out of there too anyways
2) So can alcohol, obesity, porn, religion, driving, and modern medicine, but I'm not against any of those being illegal either
Ok :)
 

Mzza

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I'm biased as I work for a gambling company myself, but I don't see the problem having betting companies as sponsors. People will bet if they want to anyways, it's their choice. Luckily, many betting companies nowadays have their own responsible gambling teams who are able to stop things before they go too far. However, unfortunately, RG people/risk analysts can't see everything. A lot of people don't know that many gambling companies have this RG focus as it never really gets any media coverage, and assume that we're only there to milk people for their money.

Addiction is everywhere though – see alcohol and even fast food, we can't ban ads for everything people get addicted to. I have never placed a bet at Marathonbet myself, even though they are associated with Manchester United.
 

Reddy Rederson

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Things in life are addictive, that's just the way it is, I am weak so like alcohol and the odd bet, but I have no issue with the producers of this paying handsomely to advertise the product though, it's up to me to decide.
But it’s not up to you, not really. Most adverts aren’t designed around the product. They’re designed around the viewer. It’s all subconscious image association. No one drinks a coke like they do in ads, but when you watch it you’re being programmed to associate coke with the emotional response of joy. Everybody will try and deny it, but there’s a reason you see the same ads again and again and again.

Betting ads are designed to attack those that have issues with betting, because that’s their audience. They couldn’t care less about the guy who puts on a 10 spot on the odd game on a Saturday afternoon. It’s about the getting the poor guy that struggles with addiction to break and spend all his money.