House of Lords Rejects Amendment to Ban Gambling Sponsorship in Football

Football Governance Bill Moves Forward

The Football Governance Bill, first introduced in October, aims to establish an independent football regulator to oversee club licensing and financial stability.

It has now completed its debate stage in the House of Lords after passing through committee and report discussions in early March.

The controversial amendment, put forward by Liberal Democrat Lord Addington, called for English football to phase out gambling sponsorships once the new regulator was in place.

The proposed clause stated:

“Duty to prevent advertising and sponsorship related to gambling in English football. English football must not promote or engage in advertising or sponsorship related to gambling.”

Despite these calls, the amendment was decisively rejected during the Lords’ review on 17 March.

Debate Over Gambling Sponsorship in Football

Lord Addington, advocating for the amendment, argued that gambling advertising had grown significantly and required action.

“We have to do something here; it has got ridiculous,” he said.

However, several peers opposed the proposal. Baroness Fox of Buckley argued that banning gambling sponsorship would harm financially vulnerable clubs.

She questioned the logic of cutting off a major revenue stream for English teams, particularly those outside the top leagues.

“Why would we cut off a perfectly legitimate source of funding in the form of lucrative sponsorship, which is what these amendments would do?” she asked.

Fox also warned that excluding gambling sponsorships could lead to politically motivated decision-making by the regulator.

“Any special discriminatory treatment of the gambling industry as potential sponsors would imply a moralistic and politically charged decision-making about which sponsors are virtuous enough to be allowed. The regulator and this bill should keep well away from that.”

Government Position on Gambling Sponsorship

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay echoed these concerns, stating that the amendment had broader implications beyond the bill’s core purpose.

Baroness Twycross, the UK’s minister for gambling and the bill’s sponsor, acknowledged concerns about gambling sponsorship but emphasized that the government had already tasked the industry with raising advertising standards.

She highlighted that clubs depend on revenue from advertising and sponsorship deals.

“It is important to recognize the vital revenue that English clubs rely on that comes in from advertising and sponsorship with gambling companies,” she stated.

The Premier League has already taken steps to reduce gambling’s visibility in football. In 2023, clubs voted to remove betting sponsors from the front of team jerseys, a policy set to take effect from the 2026-2027 season.

What’s Next for the Bill?

With the House of Lords debate concluded, the Football Governance Bill will now move to the House of Commons.

It will undergo its first and second readings, followed by committee and report stages, before a final vote. If approved, it will become law, establishing an independent football regulator but without restrictions on gambling sponsorship.