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The Football Association (FA), last night made the decision to sell the FA rights to betting giant Bet365 amidst a huge backlash of criticism.
Bet To View
The deal, spanning over a six year period will give Bet365 the sole rights to showing the FA Cup matches on it’s website and mobile apps. To view a game, punters will have to place a bet before the match starts or set up an account with a £5 wager to enable them access to the game. Adding insult to injury the betting giant added betting odds during the live footage, which some deemed it to be encouraging people viewing the match to gamble.The deal has brought much criticism surrounding Bet365 and the governing body, the promotion of mental health also comes in to question. Prince Harry is the patron and ahead of last weekend where all matches were delayed for one minute to promote the Prince’s charity, ‘Heads Together, the deal was still allowed to go ahead.FA Governing bodies made a decision in 2017 to severe ties with betting companies, terminating a £4 million a year contract with Ladbrokes after years of gambling problems within the sport.IMG, the third party who sold the rights to Bet365 have said they would review the rights at the end of the season after a huge amount of criticism.
“Shameful Deal”
Anti-gambling campaigners have criticised the deal calling it a ‘shameful deal’, football fans that want to enjoy the game without being flooded with gambling promotions.Claire Murdoch, Mental Health Director for the NHS told the Daily Mail,“ It’s another own goal from the gambling industry, Bet to View is simply wrong and needs to stop. It’s no wonder that – with tactics like these – more people are seeking help for gambling problems on the NHS.”