At a time when the NFL has seven exclusive sportsbook partners, the top soccer league in England may be going in a very different direction, primarily because it fears the government will involuntarily nudge them that way.
Via BBC Sport, the Premier League may voluntarily ban gambling sponsorships. A decision is expected by July 21.
In the 2021-21 season, half of the league’s 20 teams had betting sponsors on their jersey. To implement the voluntary ban, 14 teams would have to agree.
Crystal Palace has scrapped a gambling sponsorship since the end of the most recent season. Everton and newly-promoted Bournemouth have recently added new jersey deals with gambling firms.
The potential move comes at a time when some have been urging the government to ban such partnerships.
It’s relevant to the NFL because, eventually, similar regulatory measures could occur in the United States, especially if a betting controversy sparks Congress to take control of the proliferation of gambling money in pro sports -- with the NFL, which not long ago abhorred the idea of legalized gambling, at the front of the pack when it comes to passing the hat from one betting company to the next.