The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has introduced a ban on betting sponsorships, although this will not apply to clubs competing in the League of Ireland.
Calls for a severing of ties between betting operators and sports clubs have been mounting in Ireland, with two of the country’s major sporting authorities – the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and Gaelic Players Association (GPA) – vocally supporting the suggestion.
Both organisations have argued for the prohibition of gambling advertising during televised broadcasts of sports fixtures, and have been joined by the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland.
The FAI’s announcement, however, follows two sponsorship agreements signed between Irish professional football clubs. FAI Cup holders Dundalk FC partnered with BetRegal in December 2020, whilst Dublin-based Shamrock Rovers recently struck a deal with online betting and gaming operator 888.
Despite this, a potential partnership between the FAI and Paddy Power was recently shelved.
