Football Betting Regulations May Be Added to Football Governance Bill
A peer has suggested making changes to betting regulations as part of the Football Governance Bill, which is currently in the House of Lords.
Key Facts:
- Lord Dominic Hubbard, a Liberal Democrat peer, is the vice president of the UK Sports Association
- Peer proposed four amendments to the legislation relating to betting sponsorships in football
- None of the amendments put forward by the peer have yet to make it into the Football Governance Bill
- BGC is likely to campaign strongly against proposed changes
The Football Governance Bill, which includes the foundation of a new independent football regulator, has already been passed by the House of Commons.
Now, as the legislation moves through the House of Lords, a Liberal Democrat peer has proposed a series of amendments.
Lord Dominic Hubbard, a Liberal Democrat peer and the sixth Baron Addington, is the vice president of the UK Sports Association.
He wants the bill to look at changes to football betting as well as the other regulation updates.
Gambling Ads Are Everywhere
Speaking in a House of Lords debate, the Liberal Democrat peer has suggested a review of advertising in football and proposed a ban on gambling sponsorship in football.
He said: “Certain sports such as horseracing tend to be dependent on gambling, but we have something of a surfeit of gambling advertising on our televisions: it is everywhere. In these amendments, I am suggesting that football might be one place we could do without it. “
“The revenue might be very useful to the clubs involved, but we have already heard about the huge reach of football as a subject, and the fact that there is a huge demand for it. Can we not get rid of gambling here?”
However, at the end of the report stage, none of Addington’s amendments have made it into the bill, though two of them are yet to be considered by the House of Lords.
Lord Addington added: “I hope the government will say that they are going to do something on gambling in this Bill.”
Disproportionate Regulatory Overreach
The sports betting industry is likely to campaign against any proposals to introduce more regulation, with some peers speaking against Addington’s plans.
Independent peer Baroness Fos of Buckley said the amendments are indicative of an “intrusive and disproportionate regulatory overreach”.
She added: “One of the aims of the Bill is that the football regulator will help clubs, particularly smaller clubs, become financially sustainable and avoid financial jeopardy. “
“That has been a compelling and convincing argument for this Bill. So why would we cut off a perfectly legitimate source of funding in the form of lucrative sponsorship, which is what these amendments would do?”
The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), which represents legal online gambling companies in the UK, has also regularly spoken against more regulation.
Chief executive Grainne Hurst noted 22.5 million people enjoy a bet each month while BGC members contribute ￡6.8 billion to the economy.
