Sunderland and Championship rivals 'avoid' ban after Premier League clubs including Newcastle and Leeds United make voluntary decision

Sunderland and their EFL rivals won’t abandon their relationships with gambling companies, according to reports.
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All 20 Premier League clubs are set to enact a voluntary ban on shirt sponsorship from gambling companies, which is set to be announced in response to government pressure amid concerns regarding the impact of betting on society.

However, Football Insider have stated that there are currently no plans to make Sunderland and their EFL rivals enter into a similar voluntary ban on gambling companies and shirt sponsorship.

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Any ban – voluntary or otherwise – on gambling companies sponsoring football shirts would have far-reaching implications for clubs including Sunderland after the Wearsiders announced a three-year deal with Spreadex last season.

Sunderland are sponsored by betting and spread-betting company Spreadex.Sunderland are sponsored by betting and spread-betting company Spreadex.
Sunderland are sponsored by betting and spread-betting company Spreadex.

Spreadex offers financial trading, sportsbook betting and sports spread betting and will sponsor Sunderland’s home and away shirts as the club’s principal partner until the summer of 2025.

Football Insider claims that a source with “knowledge of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport” has told the outlet that there are no plans to extend the voluntary ban to the lower leagues at the present time.

Premier League, Championship, League One and League Two clubs are currently awaiting the release of the white paper document on gambling reform from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

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However, with EFL clubs so heavily reliant on sources of income from gambling sponsorship, it is not expected to have quite as stark an impact as it will on the top-flight with some studies suggesting that an outright ban could take around £26million away from Championship, League One and League Two sides.