The media was abuzz over the weekend with rumors that the UK was considering a refurbishing of its online gambling licensing regime in the wake of Black Friday. The latest fall out from that day back in April is the first we’ve heard from the UK government on the matter. The reverberations could be felt by a huge amount of firms that have offices or is running ads in the UK. This could also mean that football is adversely affected as part of the process.
Much of what has been proposed by Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt has to do with looking at how overseas operators should be regulated. Apart from wanting more of a cut from offshore companies, it will mean that players are better protected. Player protection and advertising by overseas-based operators is also likely to be covered by the new regime and here is where it could affect sponsorship deals.
As we alluded to earlier on in the piece, if the new legislation goes through it’s almost certain that a number of firms will be affected. Whether it is having an office in the UK or running ads, if they don’t hold the UK license then it could be goodbye. Shirt sponsorship will be at the heart of this new legislation and looking at the amount that now populate the Premier League, it will have a huge effect. It may also mean that there are some cheap Premier League shirt deals to gobble up for anyone who has set out their stall in terms of the changes.
The changes will shift the balance of power in the industry if major European brands are not prepared with a legitimate strategy. For those that are prepared for the move, it will be a blessing when Hunt decides to pass the new proposals in the centre of the iGaming universe, London.
