Celtic and Rangers among clubs urged to end sponsorships with gambling firms

Scottish Premiership clubs including Celtic, Rangers and Dundee United have been urged to put and end to their sponsorship deals with gambling firms.

A fan-led campaign has been launched to coincide with the beginning of the new league seasons throughout the UK.

The Premiership kicked off last weekend with the English Premier League season set to begin on Saturday.

Scottish champions Celtic are currently sponsored by Dafabat, Rangers by 32Red/Unibet and Dundee United by Quinn Casino.

Football Supporters Against Gambling Adverts, which includes people recovering from gambling addiction and families bereaved by gambling-related suicide, has started more than 20 petitions.

The campaign group hopes to secure one million signatures and wants clubs in the Scottish Premiership, English Premier League and lower leagues to cancel all existing gambling partnerships, to pledge to reject future deals, and to back The Big Step – a campaign to end all gambling advertising and sponsorship in football.

A statement from the group said: “Nowhere is gambling’s pernicious presence felt more than in football, which acts as the ‘hook’ that draws young, first-time gamblers in, setting them up for a lifetime of addiction,” read a statement from the group.

Annie Ashton, who lost her husband Luke, to gambling suicide in 2021, has stopped taking her son to Leicester City games because of the amount of gambling ads around the stadium:

“Luke was a huge Leicester City fan, so it is heart-breaking to see the club have more gambling partners than any other English club. With so many people harmed by gambling every day, what example does this set to young Foxes fans?

“To stop any other families from going through what we’ve gone through, I’m asking Leicester City FC to do the right thing and end its gambling partnerships.”

Simon Dunk, who is in recovery from gambling addiction, is calling on his club Brighton and Hove Albion FC to do the same:

“Football lets down millions of its loyal fans by selling them the idea that gambling is safe and risk-free. Our game should be a force for good, not a platform to sell people dangerous and highly addictive gambling products.

“To prevent any young fan from experiencing what I and so many others did, I’m urging Brighton and Hove Albion FC to cancel all gambling partnerships, say no to any new offers, and back The Big Step campaign.”