Over 5,000 visible gambling advertisements were spotted during a recent Premier League match despite a ban introduced to reduce exposure.
Research from the University of Bristol found 5,262 instances of gambling ads during coverage of Manchester City’s 4-0 win over Wolves on August 16.
91% of the ads were visible during live play with the remaining 9% coming in pre-match and post-match coverage – making it the fixture with the highest number of visible in-play gambling ads since research began in 2023.
The findings came as a surprise to many considering an agreement was reached in 2019 by gambling operators for a self-regulated ‘whistle-to-whistle ban’ which meant TV betting ads were not shown between five minutes before kick-off and five minutes after full-time.
However the ban ends at 9pm and doesn’t concern other forms of visible advertising like shirt sponsorships, pitchside hoardings and logos in stadiums – all of which have increased in recent years.
In the Premier League’s opening gameweek, 13,200 gambling messages were discovered during the whistle-to-whistle ban period alone – up 32% from 2024.
Overall, that number was an incredible 27,440 – a slight decrease from 2024 but more than triple what was recorded in 2023. The total was made by combining every instance from live match coverage including output on talkSPORT, Sky Sports News and other social media channels.
Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP, chair of the Gambling Reform All Party Parliamentary Group, said:
“The industry claimed it was taking steps to self-regulate and reduce advertising, but yet again they have not kept to their word. The whistle-to-whistle ban is far too limited and is ineffective.”
In 2024, Premier League gambling messages saw an increase of 165% during opening weekend compared to 2023.
Calls for a blanket ban on gambling advertisement continue to gain traction in similar fashion to the 2022 ban on tobacco promotion.
In 2023, the Gambling Commission recommended the government should start limiting the amount and frequency of gambling ads within sports venues.
New rules are set to come into effect from the end of the 2025/26 season, which will see gambling sponsorship removed from the front of kits.
Joe Lyons is a betting industry writer for GamblingIndustryNews with years of experience on reputable gambling websites. Joe specialises in long form content in the world of sports betting and gambling. Joe is recognised as an expert in sports fields such as horse racing, soccer, NFL and NBA.
