Despite strong regulations on celebrity gambling endorsements to safeguard people, football analysts Harry Redknapp, Peter Crouch, and Robbie Keane can be seen promoting FIFA World Cup betting.
According to FIFA officials, the previous FIFA World Cup produced a £120 billion betting market. Despite Qatar’s prohibition on gambling, gaming companies are hoping for a similar betting frenzy this year.
The former champion of “I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!” Redknapp is promoting BetVictor’s World Cup coverage with an advertising campaign and skilled commentary on the company’s website.
Crouch, former England striker, is a brand ambassador for the gambling company Paddy Power and may be seen in promotional videos for the tournament. Along with him, former Tottenham player Keane has announced brand ambassador of Betway.
The UK enforced new rules starting 1st October in order to prevent celebrities who have a “strong appeal” to young people from endorsing gambling. The independent regulator, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), stated that the new regulations would “significantly” impact gambling advertisements that feature well-known athletes and celebrities.
The ban prevents footballers in top clubs from advertising, but the former/retired players will have their social media, and other profiles checked before they can advertise.
Tom Fleming, spokesperson for the charity “Gambling with Lives,” said, “The barrage of gambling advertising around the World Cup will lead to many people’s addiction. No one, let alone ex-footballers, should be promoting highly addictive products, which is why the government must end all gambling advertising and marketing.”
The gambling laws have been under review by the Ministers in the UK since December 2020, and the white paper has been delayed four times now.
The World Cup gambling campaigns “will assist in normalizing gambling,” according to the Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH), and “create a surge in the number of people experiencing gambling-related harm.”
VP of the ADPH, Greg Fell, said, “We know that using celebrities is likely to increase interest from children and young people. It is critical that the government acts to regulate marketing and promotion in the interests of public health.”
Six out of ten football fans said there were too many gambling advertisements during international football competitions, according to research released last week by the nonprofit organization “GambleAware.” To help safeguard fans, it has started a campaign that the Football Supporters’ Association supports.
International betting brands aim to increase profits in markets outside of the United Kingdom in addition to advertising and marketing there.
Last week, it was revealed that former Liverpool captain and recently fired Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard would serve as a marketing ambassador for M88 Mansion during the World Cup, with an emphasis on the Asian market.
The Betting and Gaming Council said, “The regulated betting and gaming industry provides some of the country’s most popular sports with vital funding.”
According to the council, the industry voluntarily agreed to a “whistle to whistle” ban on TV advertisements during athletic events before the watershed at 9 o’clock in 2019, beginning five minutes before the game began and finishing five minutes after it ended.