Gambling Ads Banned, But Football Clubs Find Loopholes

Gambling Ads to Disappear from Dutch Football, But Loopholes Remain

Almost every professional football club in the Netherlands has a sponsorship deal with a gambling company. However, from this summer, gambling advertisements must disappear from the sport.

In Belgium, this ban has been in place since the start of the year. Yet, gambling companies remain visible through clever loopholes.

Club Brugge and Other Belgian Clubs Change Sponsor Names

Club Brugge, Belgium’s richest club, had a lucrative contract with Unibet. Since January, the name on their shirts changed to U-Experts, but anyone searching for this name online still ends up on Unibet’s website.

Other clubs have adopted similar strategies:
🔹 Standard Liège changed Circus to Circus Daily.
🔹 Dender replaced Star Casino with Star Sport TV.
🔹 Cercle Brugge switched Golden Palace Casino to Golden Palace News.

This allows gambling companies to maintain a presence in football despite the ban.

Sports Management Professor: ‘Gambling Companies Find Workarounds’

Bram Constandt, a professor of sports management in Belgium, observes how gambling companies find creative ways to stay visible:
“They are trying to circumvent the ban and hope this will continue to work.”

Dutch Gambling Authority: ‘The Netherlands Could Follow’

The Dutch Gambling Authority is closely monitoring developments in Belgium.

Chairman Michel Groothuizen believes Dutch clubs may follow the same route:
“Yes, that is very possible. Gambling companies are creative in finding loopholes.”

According to him, the companies are not to blame:
“They want to make a profit, just like a wolf eats a lamb. It’s up to politics to stop this.”

Dutch Clubs Facing Millions in Losses

Dutch football clubs risk losing at least €40 million in annual sponsorship revenue. Without gambling sponsors, they must find new sources of funding.