The Football Association today announced it has ended its £4million-per-year sponsorship agreement with Ladbrokes after a review of its relationship with betting companies.
An official announcement confirmed the split this morning with immediate effect just 12 months into a four-year contract as the FA seeks to address an apparent conflict of aligning themselves with the gambling industry while overseeing a crackdown on betting within football.
Joey Barton highlighted the problem in April after being banned from football for 18 months after he accepted a misconduct charge relating to gambling on matches, having breached FA Rule E8 by placing 1,260 bets across a 12-year period.
“I would urge the FA to reconsider its own dependence on the gambling industry,” he said as part of a lengthy statement at the time and the organisation has heeded that warning.
The FA underwent a three-month review of the FA’s approach but it was keen to stress this morning that Ladbrokes and other betting companies will continue to work closely with them on sharing information regarding suspect betting patterns.
Martin Glenn, chief executive of The FA, said: “We would like to thank Ladbrokes for both being a valued partner over the last year and for their professionalism and understanding about our change of policy around gambling.”
Jim Mullen, CEO of Ladbrokes Coral, said: “We understand The FA's decision regarding their commercial partnerships on gambling.
“Football is a passion of ours, and our customers, and we remain committed to working with The FA to ensure the integrity and trust of the sport is maintained for the fans of the game and the millions of customers who enjoy betting on it week in and week out.”
