The Game's Gone

[Rds1983]

Just now, AVFC_Hitz said:

I don't know. Ive just done some research and a zidane sticker on its own is going for £365. 

Jinx.

[MrBlack]

The athletic did an article on dodgy gambling sponsorship although I don't subscribe so can't see all of it. They summarised part of the issue as being the fact the sponsor is actually just a white label shell, that is acting on behalf of the company paying the sponsorship.

The parent gambling firm are not legally allowed to advertise on most of their lucrative Asian markets, but circumvent the law by appearing on a PL teams shirt during a match shown on TV over there. 

Gambling is illegal in China anyway, so the fact the parent Chinese company have enough money to pay the sponsorship raises serious questions about its origin and legality.  Money laundering and criminal activity probably makes up a lot of its balance sheet.  There will be significant volumes of illegal money that make up their funding, that we are then handling by accepting their sponsorship.

Not to mention that because of their unregulated illegal operations in China, there'll be people gambling on their platforms that don't get any of the support you'd get in a regulated country.

The chain will eventually lead back to the clubs, and has already resulted in some fines going the way of the sponsors. Extract from The athletic article:

Quote

ManBetX, which sponsors Wolves’ shirts, has an arrangement with Vivaro Limited, a company based in Malta which last year was fined more than €700,000 by the Maltese authorities after violating 10 provisions of that country’s Prevention of Money Laundering and Funding of Terrorism Regulations.

Gambling consultant Bowden says such offshore intermediaries will run all the functions of the website — taking bets, paying out winnings and interacting with customers — despite the fact that very few people probably use this service because the substantive business is based in Asia.

As a UK consumer, it is possible to place bets through most of these websites (Villa sponsor LT being an exception, with a placeholder website that doesn’t function at all). But this is not the real business being advertised.

There's no crackdown on it yet, but when it comes these deals will be over.

Do we just make hay while the sun shines? Do we just say the rules in that country are wrong so let's help the companies break them?

Edited February 1, 2023 by MrBlack

[villabromsgrove]

Gambling is a real problem for many individuals and by extension many families are blighted by the consequences of gambling addiction. Legislation has to brought in to ban all forms of gambling promotion including all forms of coercive advertising.

To say that individual football clubs should refuse gambling sponsorship is simplistic. It is currently a legal source of income that needs to be banned, so that no clubs can use it as a revenue stream. Precarious finances mean that no individual club is in a position to opt out on their own. 

[Stevo985]

52 minutes ago, Tomaszk said:

So you're not "really upset" as I said then. Continue to watch.

Agree with most of your post.

No but that was beside the point. I was really upset with Qatar getting the world cup, for example. I still watched it.

You're allowed to be upset with things in the sport and not just bin it off forever

[Tomaszk]

33 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

I was really upset with Qatar getting the world cup, for example. I still watched it.

Same.

33 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

You're allowed to be upset with things in the sport and not just bin it off forever

Agree.

If next year's sponsor, or the clearly dodgy one currently on Villa's website were to affect someone's enjoyment of Villa, I'd encourage them to walk away. It's only going to get worse.

[Galway Lion]

4 hours ago, bobzy said:

It's not really the sources for me.  We shouldn't be promoting something that **** up a lot of people just because others do it or just because they pay more money.

 

(To be honest, I think gambling sponsors will be banned soon enough anyway - and rightly so)

Is playing the Lottery not gambling? 

[Rodders]

I occasionally bet, and have bet quite a lot in the past, to my detriment. I don't think betting should be illegal, but nevertheless I find the level to which it us ubiquitous in sport depressing and undeniably will and has caused gambling problems. Further, it normalises having a cheeky bet as a regular normal thing to do, not just once a week, but it's all day every day, and the nature of gambling online it's so easy to go from a relatively harmless weekly accy, to finding yourself betting on random sports across the other side of the world.   It's everywhere and gambling is an addictive habit. I reiterate, I don't believe in banning it, as there's obviously plenty of people who enjoy it without issue, and I don't wish to come across too censorious. (I like drinking too, and I think advertising for both ought to be more strictly regulated for that as well).

I think betting sponsorships everywhere are just shit. Half of these companies appear to be pretty dodgy. The other half operative out of tax havens. It's an activity that should be tucked away in a corner, it's there if you really want to do it, but not explicitly promoted and encouraged.  

I don't expect anything to change though. 

Edited February 1, 2023 by Rodders

[Lupinthe5th]

16 hours ago, thabucks said:

I mean … it’s not the best look is it really. But sadly C.R.E.A.M (FYI for those who don’t know it mean Cash Rules Everything Around Me btw) 

I'm in. How do I sign up to this bookies account?

Edited February 1, 2023 by Lupinthe5th

[bobzy]

4 hours ago, Tomaszk said:

Best highlight to the fans particularly unhappy about this new sponsor.

Stop watching football if you're really upset by dodgy ethics. It's deeply embedded.

Ah yeah, classic.  "If you don't like it go live somewhere else".  Great stuff.

[bobzy]

1 hour ago, Galway Lion said:

Is playing the Lottery not gambling? 

It is.

I doubt it's addictive in itself as it's very limited and there's no real thrill to chucking £10k at a one-off draw.  I also doubt the National Lottery bombard people with "lottery offers" such as buy one ticket, get another free.  Or free lottery plays.  But yes, it's gambling.

[bobzy]

1 hour ago, CVByrne said:

Instagram does damage to kids. Alcohol does damage to people. Gambling does damage to people addicted to it. Fossil fuels damage the environment. Lots of things companies make money from are harmful to people 

There are clearly ways to stop betting firms from profiting from people with gambling addiction. The government just won't create the regulations to do that. 

There are clearly ways to stop betting firms from being glamorised.  Football doesn't want to do that because money.

Nothing to do with the government.

[Tom13]

Anyone else find Ben Foster and his 'Fozcast' really irritating? The way he talks, really cringey and overdramatises everything.

[villa4europe]

2 minutes ago, Tom13 said:

Anyone else find Ben Foster and his 'Fozcast' really irritating? The way he talks, really cringey and overdramatises everything.

You watched the manningcast for the NFL? It can work, it's a good idea with the right personalities and people behind it

So not Ben Foster then...

 

[Tom13]

7 minutes ago, villa4europe said:

You watched the manningcast for the NFL? It can work, it's a good idea with the right personalities and people behind it

So not Ben Foster then...

 

No but Ben Foster is defo the only reason I find that one unbearable

I'll check that one out

[villa4europe]

Just seen Nike have a Liverpool x LeBron range out

[Keyblade]

1 hour ago, villa4europe said:

Just seen Nike have a Liverpool x LeBron range out

Tom Hanks x Villa doesn't hit the same

[villa4europe]

[villa4europe]

its not as bad because its not utter shite but salernitana have a valentines day shirt

[sheepyvillian]

On 01/02/2023 at 17:18, bobzy said:

It is.

I doubt it's addictive in itself as it's very limited and there's no real thrill to chucking £10k at a one-off draw.  I also doubt the National Lottery bombard people with "lottery offers" such as buy one ticket, get another free.  Or free lottery plays.  But yes, it's gambling.

You doubt it's addictive. There's people buying hundreds of tickets twice a week. I'll take the horses and a bet on the football every day of the week. 

[Tom13]

Wasn't sure where to post this