Football is often seen as more than just a game – it has the power to unite, advocate for positive change, and serve as a pillar of community.
However, there are growing concerns that football is failing its fans, with three quarters of fans concerned about the amount of gambling advertising in the game, according to a survey by the Football Supporters Association.
Whilst mental health awareness has received increasing attention, gambling addiction, one of the main contributors to poor mental health among fans and often fuelled by football, remains largely absent from the conversation.
The prevalence of gambling only seems to be increasing, with sponsorships and match-day ads becoming ubiquitous in the game.
During the opening weekend of the Premier League 2024/25 season, fans were exposed to nearly 30,000 gambling messages across TV, radio, and social media.
This figure was almost triple the amount recorded during the same period in the previous year, according to research from the University of Bristol.
This comes as the NHS has reported a surge in demand for gambling addiction-related support, with the number of referrals increasing year on year since 2020 and peaking significantly in 2024/25.
The presence of betting companies within football has normalised gambling, promoting and encouraging it, among fans, some claim.
Speaking on this, GamFam Founder and CEO, Steve Watts said: “There is no place for gambling in football, you know exactly where to go if you want to put a bet on.
“For someone in recovery of gambling it is terrible, it’s everywhere you turn.”
Gambling advertising exacerbates harm amongst the worst affected, and is 40 times more likely to cause those already experiencing gambling harm to spend more money and time on gambling, according to data from GambleAware.
As football looks to bring fans together and open discussions around mental health, it seems contradictory that these fans can no longer participate in the game for fear that it will trigger their addiction.
The scope of influence has also expanded beyond family and friends to influencers and sporting figures, increasing the chance of young people being exposed to gambling related content.
Co-founder of GamScore, Gary Watts, stated: “It’s a growing epidemic, it’s at your fingertips.”
Fans can access gambling platforms easier than ever before from their phones, creating more hidden avenues for gambling addiction.
GamScore was co-created by Simon Haworth, a former International and Premier League footballer who had previously suffered from a gambling addiction.
Watts and Haworth recognised, that whilst mental health awareness has grown in recent years, the education surrounding gambling addiction is still trailing behind.
It is glamorised and marketed as fun and thrilling, with the harsh realities of addiction rarely being seen.
GamScore aims to combat this and give people the tools for informed decisions.
Gambling is also prevalent amongst footballers as well as fans.
The latest PFA figures for 2023/24 state that 42 footballers received support for gambling addictions during the season.
However, it is likely that many more may have received help in private or suffered in silence.
There may be a reluctance from footballers to speak out about their own gambling struggles due to the stigma surrounding addiction and the potential backlash they may face in their career.
However, coverage surrounding Newcastle and Italy midfielder, Sandro Tonali, receiving treatment during his 10 month ban for breaching betting rules demonstrated the positive impact sportspeople’s voices and open conversations can have.
He spoke to Newcastle United’s TV channel about the comfort he took in hearing other problem gamblers had reached out for help after his gambling addiction was made public.
The UK government and football organisations have started to take some action, with Premier League clubs agreeing to phase out gambling sponsorships from the front of match-day shirts by the end of the 2025/26 season.
However, clubs can still maintain other forms of gambling advertising and more than half of teams still have a gambling sponsor on the front of their shirt.
Steve Watts, Founder and CEO of GamFam, said: “The sponsor off the front of the shirt is the first time it has been recognised that gambling advertising can cause harm, however, the pace of change is too slow.
“Tobacco used to be a sponsor on football kits, but it now comes with a public health message when you buy it, maybe gambling is moving towards this.”
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