Problem gambling has become a major concern for countries around the globe.
Research has shown that players who bet through illegal channels are more exposed to problem gambling.
In unregulated gaming, there may be relaxed betting limitations and insufficient warnings or guidance for people who suffer from gambling addiction.
An ARF study showed that in a cross-section of countries in the Far East and Oceania, the number
of problem gamblers, or those at higher risk of becoming problem gamblers, was 10% to 40% higher among illegal bettors compared to the legal bettors.
In Asia, the marketing and promotion of betting is generally banned. Therefore, sponsorships of popular teams in the English Premier League (EPL) or Spain’s La Liga, which are broadcast worldwide, serve as highly effective alternative marketing and advertising platforms for Asian-facing betting websites.
In Europe, generally speaking, betting operators who wish to sponsor a team must comply with the gaming regulations of the country in which that team is based. In France or the UK, betting operators must be licensed by the national gaming regulator to advertise or sponsor teams. In Spain, a foreign online operator can operate and advertise in the country but must have equivalent licensing elsewhere in the European Economic Area.
Other than being official betting partners with the football clubs and shirt sponsorships, bet advertising is ubiquitous at matches along pitch-side hoardings and is visible during many global broadcasts. One study showed that in the 2016/2017 soccer season, more than 75% of EPL airtime equivalent to more than 25,000 hours, included a gaming sponsor in one form or another, according to A Study of Betting Operators and their Sponsorship in Sport (2020), by GLMS.
In Italy, in order to reduce gaming addiction and increase player protection, bet advertising and relevant sports sponsorships – including gaming brands appearing on team shirts – have been banned since 2019, however, the national lottery, operated by the government, is exempted from this legislation.
