The Football Association has abruptly ended its £4 million-a-year sponsorship deal with Ladbrokes after deciding it could no longer justify having a betting partner.
The Telegraph reports that The FA announced it had terminated a four-year contract after just one year following a three-month review commissioned by chairman Greg Clarke.
The governing body had come under mounting criticism for promoting gambling while enforcing a blanket ban on footballers betting on matches worldwide.
In April, Joey Barton was banned for 18 months after admitting breaching those rules.
The Burnley midfielder was also fined £30,000 and warned about his future conduct having been found guilty of placing 1,260 bets on matches over a 10-year period.
Joey Barton
Joey Barton placed 1,260 bets on football matches over a 10-year period CREDIT: PA
But Barton questioned the FA and said it should “look at its own dependence on the gambling companies” instead of “blaming” the players.
The FA said in a statement: “At the May FA board meeting, it was agreed that the FA would end all sponsorships with betting companies starting from the end of the 2016-17 season.
“The decision was made following a three-month review of the FA’s approach to it as a governing body taking betting sponsorship, whilst being responsible for the regulation of sports betting within the sport’s rules.
“As a consequence, the FA has mutually agreed with Ladbrokes that its current partnership with The FA will be terminated from June 2017.
“The FA will continue to work with betting companies, including Ladbrokes, as they play a key role in sharing information on suspect betting patterns and so help in regulating the game.”
FA chief executive Martin Glenn said: “We would like to thank Ladbrokes for both being a valued partner over the last year and for their professionalism and understanding about our change of policy around gambling.”
Glenn’s Ladbrokes Coral counterpart, Jim Mullen, added: “We understand the FA’s decision regarding their commercial partnerships on gambling. Football is a passion of ours, and our customers, and we remain committed to working with the FA to ensure the integrity and trust of the sport is maintained for the fans of the game and the millions of customers who enjoy betting on it week in and week out.”
