The status of gambling advertising and football sponsorship: Potentially a bloodbath for clubs
•
7 Oct 2024 •
Reading time: 4 minutes The end of gambling advertising in sports is fast approaching in Belgium. New rules, which the Belgian government has introduced, impose severe restrictions on gambling advertising and sponsorship by gambling companies. Nowhere is the visibility as great as with football clubs. The modern gladiators receive a lot of attention every week via all channels. The product of football has never been so popular, and gambling companies worldwide were happy to take advantage of this visibility.
If we look locally, the advertising ban for the football clubs in the Jupiler Pro League and the Challenger Pro League will be a major financial setback. Together, they expect to lose around 15 million euros in sponsorship money. Knowing that the record loss for clubs earlier this year was 193 million, it does not seem that things will improve immediately.
Stricter rules for gambling advertising in Belgium
Since 1 July 2023, strict rules have been in force for gambling advertising in Belgium. Gambling companies are only allowed to advertise their own legal offering, and only at their own locations or via their own website and social media. And even then, they are not allowed to target vulnerable groups, such as minors or people who exhibit risky gambling behavior.
It is even stricter for sports matches. Only incidental advertising is allowed, such as coverage of foreign sporting events where gambling advertising is still allowed. But for Belgian clubs, this means a significant restriction of their opportunities to earn money from sponsorship.
Sports clubs face major losses due to the gambling ban
The ban on gambling advertising and sponsorship is hitting Belgian sports clubs hard. From January 1, 2025, they are no longer allowed to show any form of gambling advertising in their stadiums. No banners, no commercials, no posters – everything has to go. This is a major blow for the clubs, because many of them have gambling companies as sponsors.
| 1st division | Casino partner |
|---|---|
| Genk | Star Casino + PepperMill Casino |
| Gent | Circus |
| R. Antwerp FC | BetFIRST |
| Club Brugge | Unibet |
| Sporting Charleroi | Unibet + Lotto |
| RSC Anderlecht | Napoleon + Lotto |
| Standard de Liège | Circus |
| Oud-Heverlee Leuven | Star Casino |
| KVC Westerlo | 777.be |
| KV Mechelen | Golden Palace |
| FCV Dender EH | Star Casino |
| Union Saint-Gilloise | Lotto |
| STVV | Star Casino |
| KV Kortrijk | Unibet |
| Cercle Brugge | Golden Palace |
| K. Beerschot V.A. | Star Casino |
The 16 clubs in the top division in particular will lose a lot of money: together around 10 million euros per year. And the clubs in the second division will add another 5 million to that. That makes a total loss of 15 million euros in sponsorship money.
| 2e division | Casino partner |
|---|---|
| RWDM | Golden Palace |
| RAAL La Louvière | Golden Palace |
| KMSK Deinze | Star Casino |
| Zulte Waregem | Napoleon |
| Lommel SK | |
| Lierse | Golden Palace |
| Patro Eisden | PepperMill Casino |
| SK Beveren | PepperMill Casino |
| Jong Genk* | |
| Royal Francs Borains | Ladbrokes.be |
| Club NXT* | |
| KAS Eupen | |
| RFC Seraing | Golden Palace |
| RFC Liège | Star Casino |
| RSCA Futures* | |
| KSC Lokeren-Temse | BetFIRST |
*Youth teams of 1st division teams are only allowed to have 3 players over the age of 23 and therefore have reduced visibility for betting shops, which is why we have not indicated a sponsor for youth teams.
If you add it all up, you get the following table:
| Casino / Bookmaker | Number of professional football clubs |
|---|---|
| Star Casino | 7 |
| Golden Palace | 6 |
| PepperMill Casino | 3 |
| Unibet | 3 |
| BetFirst | 2 |
| Napoleon | 2 |
| Circus | 2 |
| Ladbrokes | 1 |
| 777.be | 1 |
The National Lottery is currently not covered by the legislation and also sponsors 3 football teams.
A small exception for gambling advertising on shirts
However, the clubs can still breathe a little, because there is a small exception. Until 31 December 2027, they are still allowed to wear a small logo of a gambling company on their shirts. But the logo may not be larger than 75 cm² (the size of a small mobile phone), and it may not contain a slogan.
The logo may no longer be on the front of the shirt, so that it is less noticeable. But after 2027, this will also end. Then professional sports clubs will no longer be allowed to have any gambling company on their clothing.
What does this mean for the future of Belgian sports clubs?
The loss of gambling advertising means that the clubs have to look for new sponsors. Football clubs in the top division in particular are now dependent on the large amounts of money that gambling companies pump into them. But the Belgian government has decided that gambling and sports are not a good match, especially because gambling advertising attracts young people. This is a vulnerable group that is particularly susceptible to gambling addiction.
The question remains: can clubs afford to lose this income or do they need to quickly look for alternatives? For many clubs, a lot is at stake, and time is running out. If they do not find new sponsors before 2028, this could mean major financial problems for some.