Football and the betting industry: how does the relationship go?

Published on: 16 November 2020
Football and the betting industry: how does the relationship go?
Football betting

There has been a significant relationship between the betting industry and the king of sports games - football. Whether you are a gambling organization that wants to attract more customers, a bookmaker like 888b or just a beginner in the field, read this article to know more about whether sports betting helps football even thrive or not.  

How did football and betting start?

Let’s look back to the 1960s: Gambling Act officially legalized betting. At that time, betting shops kept their way of going forward, not hiding anymore. And, the football fans could bet on that game without any worries. This was a massive milestone in the history of sports betting. For football, it was even more!  

However, gambling shops were still heavily ruled in the 1980s. Their businesses were encouraged to keep discrete by bookies although their dealings were legal at that time. 

Only in the 1990s, when games were popularly televised, a sports event was shown live on TV for a treble bet. After that, betting has become free for all over the age of 18. 

Football and betting: the “macaroni and cheese” relationship

So, the relationship between betting and football happened a long time ago.  This is actually one of the most popular bets on sport, both offline and online. Throughout the years, it has turned to the industry to be worth billions, and many Premier League clubs have a betting brand as their major shirt sponsor. However, betting in the Championship has a higher proportion and top clubs across Europe are often found to have an official betting partner. 

Some Premier League clubs owning betting shirt sponsors are Burnley, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Leeds United, Newcastle United, West Ham United, and Wolverhampton Wanderers. With those sponsors, billions are poured into the game every year. This looks like the Premier League is fueled to grow even more. But does it make any good?

Well, a large amount of money put into a game is a good thing for football, yes for sure. With that “investment”, Premier League parties can purchase the most talented players, which inherently makes its products even more appealing to fans over the world. 

However, in lower leagues, the money poured down is trivial. Over the past 2 decades, about £300million has been put into grassroots football by the Premier League via the Football Foundation. Meanwhile, there are many more individual clubs gaining interest from local communities and support from non-league clubs.  

The growth of gambling in female football 

One thing for sure is that, if the money filtering into football games increases, the consequence that has been indicated so far will also rise. This can also happen in female football games. Indeed, that similar relationship will blossom as it did in male games, and other betting brands will have more chances to attract more audiences. 

Moon Bingo and some other brands are targeting the female market, and the recent rise in the Women’s Super League can be ideal for them. Nowadays, more and more women are watching female football, so the chance for exclusive deals between bingo brands, casino sites, and other betting types is impossible. 

In the future, not only tied with football, more and more clubs will be considering a large amount of money into other female games. This is just a matter of time. 

Problems with betting and football in the past

Despite the positive aspects of betting, its downsides are sadly undeniable. Here are some incidents when football and betting haven’t got a combination of satisfactory circumstances.

The case of Robert Hoyzer

Robert Hoyzer was a German referee. He was found guilty when fixed matches in the lower tiers of German football, on behalf of a Croatian bar owner and betting addict. In 2005, he was required to pay €67,000 for the scandal of giving red cards and disputed penalties.

The Totonero Scandal

In 1980, the Italian officials uncovered a huge range of fixing matches. This scandal led to countless bans. Two managers and 20 football players involved with the case were forbidden. 

Other players with gambling addictions

There are tons of players that were gambling-addicted in the past. Eider Gudjohnsen of Chelsea was one of them. Eider tried to rack up his enormous debt of £6 million. Another player was Matthew Etherington, who admitted to losing £1.5 million in 2010. Paul Merson was another “victim”, who was believed to lose about £7 million because of betting, drugs, and alcohol. That all were sad stories.

The future of football and betting

So, with both upsides and downsides, what is the future for football and betting?

The truth is, football is still one of the virtual sports games that get the highest proportion of betting. With the introduction of the internet, the excitement of football has significantly increased. This simultaneously makes football and betting to a completely new level. Fans of football now can watch and bet for their favorite sports at any time and any place. 

So, the future of these two will continue to brighten. 

You might be surprised to know that football betting accounts for 70% of the total money that is bet on sports. To wrap it up, I just want to say that football and betting will stick around for many and more years to come. And, with the advances in technology, this relationship will continue to grow more than ever!  

As technology develops, the control of human behavior becomes more difficult and complex. Problems with football betting have serious consequences as well. It is noteworthy that the growing line between football and gambling is blurred. Many research results show that betting has a great effect on the physical and mental health of players.

Even if they don't play it often. In addition to soccer betting, bookmakers also expand and offer a variety of other games such as 3d games, online casino, esports to attract players. The list is available at 888b. Before the effects of betting on life, economy as well as human perception. Make sure you are a responsible gambler, and in control of your own behavior. Even if your finances are free.

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