Spain to ban gambling shirt sponsorships
Minister of Consumer Affairs Alberto Garzón doubles down on football sponsorship ban as welcome bonuses could be scrapped
The Spanish government is set to ban gambling sponsorships in football as part of new draconian advertising measures proposed by the country’s Consumer Affairs Minister Alberto Garzón.
The draft version of the Royal Decree on Commercial Communications of Gambling Activities is an expanded and updated variant of both the original February proposals on advertising, and the emergency laws put in place during the Covid-19 lockdown.
According to Spanish publication El País, along with the banning of shirt sponsorships, gambling advertising will no longer be permissible during evening games – as was allowed in the February draft of the decree.
Garzón had initially conceded that for matches that started at 8pm or later, operators could advertise during the broadcast. This has now been quashed, as the Riojan looks to double down on protective measure put in place during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
The horario de madrugada window of 1am to 5am will also be reimposed across television, radio and online, leaving operators with slim pickings for their marketing efforts.
The decree will prohibit clubs from handing stadium or training ground naming rights to gambling operators, or to be included in the club’s official name.
Welcome bonuses for consumers also look set to be banned as part of the updated decree. In February, bonuses of up to €100 were greenlit under initial proposals.
The new decree will be put in front of the European Commission and Spain’s Council of State for review ahead of its implementation, with Garzón hoping the regulations will be in place ahead of the start of the 2020-21 football season, after its ratification was delayed due to Covid-19.
Eight La Liga clubs currently hold gambling shirt sponsorship agreements, with many others holding lower-level partnerships too, such as Real Madrid’s relationship with Codere and regional Asian partnership with KOK Sports.
Alavés, Granada, Leganés, Levante, Osasuna, Real Mallorca, Sevilla and Valencia have all signed deals with sport betting operators as main shirt sponsors.
Betway sponsors three clubs: Alavés, Leganés, and Levante, while Marathonbet features on the shirts of Sevilla.
Granada (Winamax), Osasuna (Kirolbet), Real Mallorca (Betfred) and Valencia (bwin) are all financially buoyed by the gaming industry.