English traditional club Bolton Wanderers no longer wants to advertise sports betting

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University of Bolton Stadium, home of the Bolton Wanderers

Photo: Anna Gowthorpe / IMAGO / Shutterstock

The English third division soccer team Bolton Wanderers no longer wants to work with sports betting providers. Instead, the club wants to support aid organizations in the fight against betting addiction in the future, as announced by the former first division club and four-time FA Cup winner. "Gambling addiction ruins livelihoods, and we have taken this stance to show our support for those who suffer from betting addiction," said board member Sharon Brittan.

Brittan emphasized that the club would fulfill its contractual obligations.

For example, the league association EFL, which organizes the second to fourth league, works with a sports betting provider, after which the divisions are named.

"We recognize that some people want to bet and that the league has a commercial partnership with a gambling company and we respect that," said club boss Neil Hart.

"However, we will not participate in any activity to promote gambling outside of the existing contractual requirements of the EFL."

Hundreds of thousands of Britons suffer from gambling addiction

The club cited data showing that hundreds of thousands of people in the UK suffer from gambling addiction, including more than 60,000 teenagers between the ages of eleven and sixteen.

The football industry must do more to help, urged Brittan.

In Great Britain, betting providers have long been sponsoring football.

The DFB and almost all German professional clubs are now also working with sports betting companies.

In the 2015/2016 season, Hertha BSC Berlin was the first Bundesliga club to advertise a betting company on its jersey.

Read more about the amalgamation of betting providers and Bundesliga clubs here.

mfu / dpa