Shirt sales go up after Everton, Villa drop gambling firms

LONDON: Premier League teams Everton and Aston Villa have enjoyed a 60 per cent and 50 per cent increase in shirt sales, respectively, since dropping names of betting brands from their jersies. According football business website OffthePitch, the sale boost could be worth an additional 100,000 Pounds in shirt sale revenue for both clubs.

Everton in June announced Cazoo as their shirt sponsor in a three-year deal worth 10 million Pounds a year. They were previously featuring Kenya-based gambling firm SportPesa on their jersies in a 9.6 million Pounds per year deal but ended up cutting down the partnership by two years.

Villa, meanwhile, had a one-year deal with W88 betting brand. But in July this year, they too announced to have taken Cazoo on board on a 12 million Pounds per year contract.

The development comes amid increasing calls for further regulation of gambling marketing in English football. A House of Lords Select Committee report in July recommended that shirt sponsorship deals with betting companies be outlawed in the Premier League and that clubs in the English Football League should be given three years to phase out such contracts.

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters previously said gambling needs stronger governance, but added it is up to individual clubs whether they want to pursue partnerships with betting brands. IANS

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