Ahead of his huge heavyweight title fight against Deontay Wilder tomorrow (December 1st, 2018), Tyson Fury has refused to endorse any betting brand, despite being approached.Speaking on the issue, Fury said he would not endorse something that could harm people, having a personal history with mental health issues.The boxer instead stated that he wants to use his position to promote “positive thinking”, saying:“We’re not going to go there. I’m an ambassador for mental health. I want to help people, not destroy people and a certain logo destroys lives”
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Fury has not named the company which approached him, his promoter, Frank Warren, has had a partnership with 32Red since 2017.Many fighters on Warren’s books wear the 32Red logo on their gear during fights, but this is clearly something that Tyson Fury will not be taking part in, although he has neither confirmed nor denied whether the offer came from 32Red.
Calls for change
Fury’s voice is far from the only one speaking out against the dangers of gambling sponsorship. With many sporting organisations, including several Premiership football clubs and a large percentage of Championship clubs, having shirt sponsors from the gambling industry, many, including the Remote Gambling Association (RGA) and even gambling operators such as Sky Bet have called for change.The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) is clearly taking these calls seriously, having recently handed out a total of £14 million in fines to three gambling regulators seem to be failing to comply with regulations.While the fight between Fury and Wilder will be a big one for bookies, its clear that Fury, who saw a close friend struggle with gambling addiction, according to his trainer, Ben Davidson, will not be taking sponsorship from any gambling operator due to his personal beliefs.