Irish SSE Airtricity Premier Division club Sligo Rovers has announced that it will no longer consider sponsorship deals with gambling firms saying that it would be “irresponsible” to promote such companies.
Two of the division’s top teams, Dundalk FC and Shamrock Rovers are currently sponsored by gambling companies. The deals, which were signed last year, led to the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) releasing a statement verifying that clubs were free to sign deals with gambling firms that were fully licensed to operate in Ireland.
The move to allow clubs to enter into agreements with betting firms came despite the FAI’s own refusal to enter into negotiations with gambling firm Paddy Power. The Flutter-owned bookmaker was believed to have shown an interest in becoming the association’s main sponsor following the end of Three’s sponsorship deal.
Sligo Rovers are the second top tier club in Ireland to announce that they will not consider gambling partnerships—Drogheda United made the same decision earlier in January of 2022.
In a statement released on the Sligo Rovers website, the club said:
“Sligo Rovers have taken the decision not to accept sponsorship from gambling companies. The Bit O’ Red have turned down two large sponsorship offers from gambling companies in the last number of months as we move to formalise this policy.
As a community-funded club, we believe it would be irresponsible to accept these proposals. Sponsorship is a critical aspect in the running of Sligo Rovers and turning down five-figure sponsorship offers is not a straight-forward decision, particularly given the club is self-funded with no individual benefactor like many others in the League of Ireland.
The ethos of our club is to be inclusive and open to welcome all ages and demographics. We feel such advertising, directly aimed at our supporters and particularly to our young fans, could have a detrimental outcome going forward and not in the spirit of the football club.”
Ciaran has been working within the Gambling Industry as a deep analyst since 2019. His deep knowledge and understanding of all the gambling regulations, and processes makes him a true asset, and an always valuable point of view for Gambling Industry News, allowing us to cover every topics from a brand new perspective.