Preston North End calls time on gambling shirt sponsorships
Long-term partners of 32Red signal strategy shift by seeking deal with “local non-betting partner”
Preston North End has decided to scrap front-of-shirt sponsorship deals with gambling companies from next season.
The Lancashire club has partnered with Kindred-owned casino brand 32Red for the last four years but that agreement expires at the end of the current campaign.
In the coming weeks, Preston will announce a new front-of-shirt sponsorship deal with a local non-betting partner. It was previously sponsored by both Tempobet and 888.
In a statement on the official website, club advisor Peter Ridsdale wrote: “We have been grateful for the income received from the betting sector and for the last four years from 32Red.
“We do however recognise that many of our supporters have grave misgivings in such relationships and of course it means that replica shirts for our supporters aged under 18 cannot be the same as the ones being worn by our first team squad.
“In thanking 32Red and all other sponsors in recent years, I am able to confirm that we will be announcing in the coming weeks a new front of shirt sponsorship deal with a local non-betting partner that we are absolutely delighted with and we believe that our supporters will be too,” he added.
In 2019, football teams sponsored by Kindred’s 32Red brand wore tailored responsible gambling jerseys in fixtures against each other.
Preston North End shirts for example displayed a logo saying “Never Chase Losses”.
Earlier this month, Forest Green Rovers became the first football league club to throw its support behind The Big Step campaign to end all gambling advertising and sponsorship in football.
Gambling sponsorships in sport are a central theme of the UK government’s ongoing Gambling Act 2005 review.