La Liga, the top tier of Spanish football, has returned after an 11-week hiatus. But the league’s football clubs must eliminate all betting-related sponsorships and in-stadium promotional materials in accordance with the government’s Covid-19 Social Shield emergency decree.
Despite easing a majority of social restrictions, the Spanish government has insisted that La Liga games follow temporary emergency provisions announced in March, which include a prohibition on gambling advertising, according to SBC News.
As a result, eight clubs—Valencia, Alavés, Leganés, Granada, Mallorca, Sevilla, Osasuna and Levante—will resume their season while banning bookmaker sponsorships.
Spanish bookmakers and media have criticized the Consumer Affairs Ministry for sanctioning the decision, which removed a grace period to fulfill advertising contracts signed prior to the start of the current season.
