New responsible gambling strategy
Soccer teams that have online gambling company 32Red as a shirt sponsor will be wearing responsible gambling messages on their jerseys for the remainder of the current season.
32Red is one of the eleven brands under the umbrella of the Kindred Group. Whenever two teams with a 32Red sponsorship play each other, there will be responsible gambling messages on their jerseys.
Participating teams
Currently, 32Red is the shirt sponsors for Rangers FC in the Scottish Premier League. The company also sponsors Preston North End, Middlesbrough, Leeds United and Derby County, all of which are teams in the English Football League Championship.
This new approach follows a trial run during a recent Old Firm derby game between Celtic and Rangers. The Rangers jerseys had a “Stay in Control” message printed underneath the 32Red logo on the front of the kit.
Derby County and Leeds United will both have responsible gambling messages printed on their jerseys this weekend when they play each other at Elland Road.
new approach follows a trial run during a recent Old Firm derby game between Celtic and Rangers
Part of an extensive campaign
The Kindred Group is extending this responsible gambling strategy to its other assets in soccer.
This includes its pitchside LED advertising board messages. These advertisements already began displaying responsible gambling messages at the start of the season. According to Kindred Group figures, more than 8.5 million people have seen these messages to date.
Each of the clubs with a 32Red sponsorship will have a different message on their jerseys. Leeds United will have “Keep Gambling Fun”, Derby County will have “Play Responsibly”, Middlesborough jerseys will say “Set Deposit Limits”, while “Never Chase Losses” will be printed on Preston North End jerseys.
There will also be additional responsible gambling messages in the program advertising, emails, social media and in-stadium advertising going forward from the Kindred Group.
Commitment from 32Red
The United Kingdom general manager for the Kindred Group is Neil Banbury. He believes that those in the gambling industry have an important role to play in tackling problem gambling issues.
He says that stopping gambling advertising completely would be irresponsible. Banbury believes that football club sponsors can do a lot more to promote socially responsible gambling if the are allowed.
Banbury also commented on the unique reach that soccer clubs have with adult audiences before stating that they are a
great avenue for promoting healthier gambling behavior and advocating for control.”
Gambling sponsorship in soccer
Kit sponsorship is a big issue at the moment, with a lot of people calling for a ban on gambling companies sponsoring soccer clubs. Currently, ten of the twenty English Premier League teams have gambling companies as their kit sponsors.
As a result of these findings, Marc Etches, the CEO of GambleAware, believes that both gambling operators and clubs can do more to encourage safe betting and make more people are of the risks of gambling.
Recent 32Red controversy
It wasn’t too long ago that 32Red was embroiled in controversy over its role in Wayne Rooney signing for Derby County. Rooney is a former Manchester United player and England captain.
He signed an 18-month deal with the Championship club to take on a player-coach role, beginning in January. During the summer at a joint press conference, he was presented with the number 32 shirt. A significant portion of Rooney’s wages will be paid for by 32Red.
This publicity stunt led to former Labour sports minster Richard Caborn, who was the driver of the 2005 Gambling Act, calling it “an embarrassment” when the announcement was made in early August.