Looming advertising ban is a cause of worry for Italian football - Betting News | Sports News | Casinos News | Gaming Reviews

Looming advertising ban is a cause of worry for Italian football

In Italy, the body behind the nation’s top soccer league has reportedly expressed ‘extreme worry’ regarding the recent passage of legislation that is to ban all gambling-related advertisements from the first day of next year. According to a report from the Associated Press news service published by The Washington Post newspaper, the Lega Nazionale Professionisti Serie A stated that Monday’s approval of the Decreto Legge Dignita by the nation’s Council of Ministers could cause is member clubs to lose millions of dollars in sponsorship revenues.

The news service reported that the legislation, which will not cover advertisements for Italy’s state-run lottery, is to also prohibit sports clubs from displaying sports betting-related sponsorships on their shirts although those with existing agreements will be allowed to continue until the end of their current contracts. “The Lega [Nazionale Professionisti] Serie A is following with extreme worry the developments of the Decreto Legge Dignita and the impact on Italian football of rules that ban advertising from betting firms,” reportedly read a statement from the Lega Nazionale Professionisti Serie A.

The organization detailed that twelve of the nation’s 20 top-flight Serie A soccer clubs had sponsorship agreements with gambling firms last season and warned that the looming prohibition could negatively impact earnings from the sale of television rights as broadcasters may struggle to market advertising slots. The European Gaming and Betting Association, which is made up of some of the continent’s largest privately-owned online gambling firms, reportedly told the Associated Press that its members spend approximately $140 million every year to sponsor sports teams and leagues in Italy. The group’s Secretary General, Maarten Haijer, purportedly questioned the effectiveness of such a ban as foreign teams will still be permitted to carry gambling-related sponsorships when they play games in the country or have their matches televised to Italian viewers.

“We would also question the practicality of introducing a total ban on advertising as a result of the cross-border nature of the Internet and television,” read a statement from Haijer. “Italian citizens will continue to see gambling advertising, except that those ads will advertise websites that are not licensed in Italy.” The Associated Press reported that official statistics indicate that Italians spent around $119.75 billion on gambling in 2017, which represented a 142% increase year-on-year, while there are thought to be almost six million people in the country with some form of an addition to gambling. But, Haijer reportedly told the news service that a ban on the advertising of gambling will be ‘counter-productive’ to his group’s efforts to protect consumers in Italy as current adverts direct players to ‘gambling operators who are licensed to operate and comply with the rules.’ Enrico Preziosi, Chairman for Italy’s oldest top-flight soccer club, Genoa CFC, reportedly told the Associated Press that the Decreto Legge Dignita will do nothing to prevent gambling addictions and instead only aid those who operate illegal betting businesses.

Popular News

1
Jack Miller Survive After a Horror Accident at 2024 Malaysia MotoGP
04 November 2024
KTM racer Jack Miller admitted that he was lucky to survive after experiencing a...
GettyImages-2181989287
Ruud van Nistelrooy Hopes to Help Red Devils With New Coaching Team
31 October 2024
Ruud van Nistelrooy has expressed his readiness to stay at Manchester United in...
4539784-137100142
Napoli at the top of Serie A, Antonio Conte sends a taunt to Tottenham
30 October 2024
Napoli consolidated its position at the top of the standings in the 10th week of...
Capture
Stubborn Erik ten Hag
30 October 2024
Erik ten Hag has officially received a letter of dismissal from Manchester United....
Share on facebook
Facebook
Share on twitter
Twitter

SHARE THIS ARTICLE WITH FRIENDS

Share on facebook
Facebook
Share on twitter
Twitter
Share on pinterest
Pinterest
Share on google
Google+

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published.