Premier League betting adverts treble in just one year

The Premier League’s opening weekend contained almost triple the number of gambling adverts than last year, a new report has found.

Researchers from the University of Bristol’s business school found that the number of gambling promotions shown across television, radio and social media during the season’s opening weekend rocketed 165% from 10,999 in 2023, to 29,145 in 2024 — the equivalent of almost 54 betting advertisements a minute.

Although gambling firms introduced a ‘whistle-to-whistle’ advertising ban in 2019, the researchers noted that this did not prevent 10,000 betting messages as the restrictions do not apply to pitch-side hoardings.

‘Tokenistic’

The report’s authors warned that some social media ads had been viewed 24 million times, and three-quarters were not clearly identifiable as adverts.

They stated that children are being put at risk by such advertising, saying: “It’s clear that the industry’s attempt to self-regulate is wholly inadequate and tokenistic. Despite having had years to put in place effective measures to protect consumers, the gambling industry continues to prioritise profit over safety.”

Responding to the findings, a Government spokesperson said: “We recognise the impact harmful gambling can have on individuals and their families and are absolutely committed to strengthening protections for those at risk.

“Ministers are currently considering the full range of gambling policy, including on advertising and sponsorship, and will update in due course.”

Children

Separate research by The Pitch Inspection, in collaboration with The Guardian, revealed that half of Premier League football clubs have failed to follow their own guidelines on protecting children from betting advertisements.

Ten of the 20 football clubs either included betting logos in the children’s section of their online shop, pictured under-18s wearing shirts with gambling firms’ branding, or provided links to their betting sponsors.

Following the investigation, several clubs including Liverpool, Everton and Chelsea removed the flagged content.

Under the clubs’ voluntary code, “no gambling sponsor logos” should be included on “any materials or section of a website which have been designed to be viewed or used specifically by children”.

‘Bombardment’

Earlier this year, MPs warned that the Premier League’s proposed ban on gambling companies sponsoring football shirts from 2026 is unlikely to have much effect on reducing exposure to betting.

A report by the Select Committee for Culture, Media and Sport said the pledge to ban gambling logos from match-day shirt fronts would not protect children from the “bombardment” of betting ads, and criticised the previous Government for not taking swifter action on gambling reform.

Committee Chair Dame Caroline Dinenage stopped short of endorsing a blanket ban on gambling adverts, but said more should be done “to shield both children and people who have experienced problem gambling from what often seems like a bombardment of advertising branding at football and other sporting events”.