Gambling industry rejects FA's proposal for "fair return" of funds

[The Buzz]

Clive Hawkswood, chief executive of the Remote Gambling Association, says there is "no basis whatsoever" for Football Association proposals to demand potentially tens of millions of pounds from the betting industry to support the grass-roots game.

Hawkswood was responding to a Daily Telegraph interview in an FA chief executive suggested a so-called "fair return" funding package had merit because "all those betting companies use our intellectual property."

From The Telegraph:

Nine of the 20 Premier League teams and 17 of 24 Championship teams have shirt sponsorship deals with gambling companies, but Glenn's plan could see a small percentage taken from bets, rather than commercial deals.

However, the idea was rejected on Friday by Hawkswood, who told Telegraph Sport: "The British betting industry already pays for the use of football’s intellectual property rights, not least through contractual arrangements with Football DataCo [the English football rights body]. Alongside that significant funds flow from the betting to the football industries through a range of commercial partnerships such as sponsorship, advertising and joint ventures.

"If the football authorities wish to use some of those funds to support grassroots football then that is an option they might consider, but there is no basis whatsoever for the introduction of a statutory betting levy to support what most people would consider to be an extremely wealthy sport."

Read more here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football...-return-funds/

[wonderpunter]

Like they don't already make enough money...