Brentford F.C. has faced a massive wave of criticism as it has been called “careless” and “bonkers” after the football club presented their new kit as part of its front-of-shirt partnership with the gambling operator Hollywoodbets.
Hollywoodbets, which is a sports betting operator based in South Africa, inked a two-year partnership to sponsor Brentford F.C.’s shirts following the club’s promotion to the Premier League in 2021. On July 4th, the club officially revealed their new kit for the 2023/2024 and the 2024/2025 seasons, which are set to once again display the sportsbook company on the front. This decision has faced harsh criticism by the UK charity organisation The Big Step which aims to end the association between football and gambling through sponsorship agreements and gambling advertising deals.
The increased criticism came after the club’s striker Ivan Toney was officially diagnosed with serious problem gambling behaviour and faced an eight-month suspension from football earlier in 2023, following some allegations of violating the Football Association’s gambling rules.
According to The Big Step campaign, now was the worst time for the professional football club to unveil gambling company-related kits, considering the fact that one of their stars has been severely impacted by gambling. The charity organisation also noted that Brentford F.C. could have taken the opportunity to move away from gambling sponsorship deals and it was a careless move not to do so.
Brentford’s Striker Ivan Toney Recently Diagnosed with Gambling Addiction
The Big Step organisation said that Ivan Toney will return to play for Brentford F.C. next season as “a billboard for the addiction” he is currently trying to recover from, and that was not only unfair, but also unsafe. The charity also called for the UK Government to step in and take proactive measures to put an end to all gambling advertising in football in a move to protect both players and fans.
Brentford head coach Thomas Frank spoke about gambling sponsorship deals in football following the suspension received by Toney in May this year. At the time, Mr Frank noted that the club, and football as a whole, needed to review the relationship with the gambling sector. Brentford F.C.’s head coach acknowledged that gambling adverts would not exist in a perfect world and noted that football clubs should balance out their future partnerships that bring them money to help them run the club.
The relationship between gambling and football has been quite controversial lately, which is why it has been under scrutiny in the last few years. As previously reported by Casino Guardian, the last season of the English Premier League (EPL) saw eight of the 20 clubs feature gambling companies as their primary shirt sponsor.
- Author
Olivia Cole
