New UK sports minister to lead charge on gambling shirt sponsorship review
Nigel Huddleston previously spoken of the “addictive and socially damaging impacts of gambling”
The newly appointed minister for sport, Nigel Huddleston MP, is set to play a leading role in the government’s expected review into shirt sponsorship deals in English football involving gambling brands.
According to The Times, Huddleston is ready to tackle the controversial issue head on, having previously openly expressed his concerns about the behaviour of sections of the gambling industry.
The Times revealed last month that regulations surrounding shirt sponsorship and gambling advertising in sport in general would form part of the government’s planned review into the 2005 Gambling Act.
The MP for Mid Worcestershire is the fourth sports minister in the last 16 months and replaces Nigel Adams who has moved to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office following Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s cabinet reshuffle.
Neither Adams nor his predecessor, Mims Davies, had any responsibility for the gambling brief, but Huddleston will take the issue in line with his other duties.
In 2017, while working at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) in his first stint, Huddleston championed the changes to stakes concerning fixed-odds betting terminals in betting shops.
Huddleston said: “I am happy that the addictive and socially damaging impacts of gambling are being addressed at the same time as striking the right balance with responsible growth and a thriving sector.”
Huddleston will work under Oliver Dowden MP, the new Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
Looking forward to getting down to work with this great @DCMS team and lucky to be overseeing sectors that I and so many people across the country are passionate about – including #Sport #Tourism and #Heritage https://t.co/eBi1nXIwSk
— Nigel Huddleston MP (@HuddlestonNigel) February 17, 2020
Speaking on the appointment of Huddleston, Michael Dugher, CEO of the Betting and Gaming Council, said: “I know how hugely respected he is in parliament and he brings a wealth of experience to the role, both from his time in the tourism industry and his previous role in DCMS.
“We are determined to drive big changes across the betting and gaming industry to deliver the highest standards in the world, and I’m looking forward to supporting Nigel in the government’s review of the Gambling Act.”
Huddleston’s plans come amid a fresh attack on the gambling industry’s relationship with football from a former senior figure.
Ex-FA CEO Mark Palios told BBC Radio 4 that football’s link with the industry had “gone too far” and he would not accept a gambling sponsorship as the chair of Tranmere Rovers.
Palios added: “From our [Tranmere’s] perspective, it’s the wrong thing to do to get associated with the gambling industry.
“We can’t change the bigger picture in terms of the football industry being involved to the extent it is but from a personal perspective that’s what we do. Football has to wean itself off the position it is in at the moment – and that’s the best verb I can use.”
Palios also confirmed that he had rejected a sponsorship offer from a gambling firm last year, which under the potential deal would afford the firm to place betting terminals inside Tranmere’s Prenton Park stadium.
Elsewhere, Premier League outfit Everton ended its sponsorship deal with Kenyan gambling operator SportPesa following an internal commercial review at the club while the FA denied GambleAware the opportunity to film a responsible gambling film at Wembley.