Gambling shake-up ‘is a cert’

BARRY HEARN believes a Government crackdown on gambling sponsorship in sport is now a certainty.

The Government is reportedly keen to move ahead with reform amid threats to remove all gambling-related logos from shirts.

Football will suffer badly with teams from the top two divisions currently raking in about £110million a year from deals with gambling companies.

Eight top-flight teams out of 20 have their shirts sponsored by betting firms, including West Ham United, Newcastle United, Leeds United and Wolves.

But the sports industry, with revenue already badly hit by coronavirus, is set for its biggest shake-up on advertising since tobacco sponsorship was banned in

It’s the bookies’ own fault.. self-regulation didn’t work’

2005. Hearn said: “A lot of this is the bookmakers’ own fault in that self-regulation hasn’t really worked.

“The Government gave them the opportunity to self-regulate and a lot of bookmakers have followed the rules, but there’s always one or two to spoil it for the others. So legalisation is probably the way forward. Let’s hope it’s done on a common-sense basis because many sports actually survive on gambling sponsorship.”

Snooker was badly hit by the ban on the likes of Embassy and Rothmans.

So Hearn, World Snooker Tour and Matchroom Sport chairman, has warmly welcomed a major new deal with leading UK online car retailer Cazoo.

The backing is for the three-event series comprising the World

Grand Prix, this month’s Players Championship, and next month’s Tour Championship tournaments.

Hearn said: “For snooker it couldn’t have come at a better time.”

ODDS-ON Hearn expects major sponsorship reform