With the U.K. expecting to release its much-awaited overhaul of gambling laws in the near future, the Premier League has gotten ahead of the curve. The league has asked its member clubs to get behind efforts to phase out the use of gambling companies sponsoring shirts.
The request is seen as a way to avoid a government-enforced ban.
The shirt delas would phase out gradually over the course of three years under the league proposal, according to Yahoo.
Per league policy, all 14 clubs need to agree to the proposal for it to take effect. Close to half of the league’s top-flight clubs had such deals last season.
Premier League brain trusts believe the ban is inevitable whether they did something now or not. The government expects to release its White Paper on gambling reform soon, and a ban on gambling endorsements is expected to be included in the reformation.
