The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has developed a new code of conduct for gambling-related sponsorships alongside major UK sports organizations. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

A major project

With gambling-related sponsorship in sports being such a hot topic at the moment, the release of a new set of guidelines aims to introduce some general standards.

The UK Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) worked with prominent sports leagues in the region such as the English Premier League (EPL), the Football Association (FA), the Rugby Football League, the Women’s Super League, and the British Horseracing Authority to develop the “Codes of Conduct for Gambling Related Agreements.”

voluntary set of guidelines has subsections for each specific sport

This voluntary set of guidelines has subsections for each specific sport it addresses; the BGC hopes it will raise standards when teams and organizations enter agreements with operators.

Wide-ranging guidelines

The four key pillars of the new code relate to the protection of underage people, ensuring that the promotion of gambling is done in a socially responsible way, reinvesting some of the sponsorship funds into programs that benefit fans and local communities, and maintaining the integrity of sports.

have these new rules in place in time for the new seasons

The respective soccer leagues that helped develop the framework agreed to have these new rules in place in time for the new seasons that begin in the coming weeks. Some of the incoming changes will include higher requirements for promoting safe gambling messaging, educating players about addiction support services, and not linking to the websites of operators from team social media accounts.

Hoping for change

Talking about the publication of the new standards, BGC Chairperson Michael Dugher said they are good for sports, operators, and fans. He believes that the code is a big step forward, something the industry body has worked on for many years.

Gambling sponsorship is big business in many UK sports, with horse racing getting about £350m ($448m) from the sector every year.

This news comes just a few days after the UK Gambling Commission warned EPL clubs Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest about entering sponsorship agreements with gambling operators that don’t have a UK license and whose white-label contracts appear to be no longer valid.