One last cash in on gambling sponsorship for Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace have announced their new kit sponsor for the 2024/25 season. Whilst the usual excitement of a new strip floods the fanbase, some may have noticed the new sponsor - ‘Net88’ will replace ‘Cinch’ on the forefront of the shirt.
Not heard of them? Neither had we.
Net88 is an Asian betting company which describes itself as a ‘new generation rewards bookmaker.’
The 2024/25 campaign is the penultimate one that Premier League sides can don front-of-shirt gambling sponsors, and disappointingly, it appears Palace are cashing in on this chance.
Why is gambling sponsorship an issue in football?
In the Premier League game this season, gambling advertisements in particular have been more prominent than ever before. On average, during games this season, a gambling advert appears on the electronic hoardings surrounding the pitch 88.8 times. These adverts are displayed for an average of 30 seconds, which means that for just over 44 minutes, fans are exposed to these adverts.
And this exposure extends to overwhelming numbers for fans watching on television. During match action in an average Premier League game this season, a gambling advertisement came into clear vision on 308.9 separate occasions, or 3.4 times per minute. Whether this be front-of-shirt/sleeve sponsor or advertisements on hoardings, there can be little question that the level of gambling advertisement in football is excessive.
In a recent study, 92% of participants agreed that when watching live games the excessive nature of these advertisements were noticeable.
Gambling addiction is an ever-growing issue across England, with an estimated 246,000 active ‘problem gamblers’, according to research from Public Health England. A further 1.4 million people are considered to be ‘at-risk’ gamblers on top of that.
Whilst an under-18 cannot legally buy alcohol, there is nothing preventing a child as young as five or six from reaching a slot machine in an arcade, with no control over access.
A UK Government investigation found that in 2019, 36% of children aged 11-16 had gambled at least once in the week prior to the study.
The gambling industry profits from addictive behaviour, and targets vulnerable individuals with persistent text and email offers, promoting special deals if they jump back into the apps one more time.
Gambling addiction takes lives. Out of any addiction, gambling takes the most lives. According to an American investigation, 40% of problem gamblers will take, or attempt to take their own lives. Football clubs should know better than to promote such an industry.
Palace fans stand against advertising
Advertising and sponsorship in football is a vital income stream for every club, but when that advertisement is taking away from the fan experience, is it too far?
In February 2024, Crystal Palace's Holmesdale Fanatics hit out against the club following the decision to remove the long-standing banner which was displayed above Block E, from where the group produce some of the most electric support in the country.
Their argument; Why should this banner be replaced for 10 metres of advertising space?
Gambling advertisements banned in the Premier League
The 2025/26 season will be the final campaign where Premier League clubs can don front-of-shirt sponsorships from the gambling industry, a positive step towards addressing the issue of problem gambling in England.
However, the study also revealed that only 7% of participants placed their first bets as a result of advertisement. This poses the question as to how influential these advertisements actually are. So why is such little advertisement space being prioritised over the support of fans?
To put it simply, it shouldn’t be.
The reality
Fans are the life and soul of football. Supporter groups are a vital contribution to club performance and they should be prioritised. The decision made by Crystal Palace has caused extended frustration due to the attitudes of much larger organisations in the Premier League.
Manchester United and Chelsea are prime examples of big clubs who have opted to prioritise fan banners over advertisement. The advertisement potential that stadiums such as Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge have could provide huge financial incentive for these clubs to replace fan banners with advertisement. But they haven’t.
The supporters should be the priority. They’re why the club exists.
Thumbnail Credit: Jacques Feeney/Offside
Henry Swain
JOURNALIST (ACADEMY)
A season ticket holder from the age of 5 to 18, Henry is as passionate a Palace fan as you’re likely to find. Enjoying the finer details of football, it’s the players that go under the radar that catch his attention. He watches every Palace game there is and has a keen passion for academy football. When he’s not watching or talking about football, Henry can be found binging a Netflix series or losing games on FIFA.
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