Report: Bookmakers won’t be sold FA Cup streaming rights in next tender

English football’s governing body, the Football Association (FA), will not sell streaming rights for the FA Cup to betting operators when the next tender is up for grabs, according to The Times. The next contract runs from 2024, however the FA is thought to be cognizant of the escalating backlash over fans having to open betting accounts and make deposits to watch the world’s oldest cup competition. The body doesn’t sell rights for its flagship knock-out tournament directly to betting companies, but rather through its contract with media company IMG. A number of bookmakers, including William Hill, Ladbrokes, Coral, Paddy Power and bet365, signed deals with IMG to broadcast FA Cup ties on their sites and apps. Operators generally allow their customers to access live streams if they have a funded betting account. In January 2020, the Gambling Related Harm All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) expressed its anger at the deal struck with seven betting companies. “Everything about this deal is shameful,” chair Carolyn Harris said at the time. Everything about this deal needs to be dealt with. Everything about the gambling act needs reform and certainly the Gambling Commission needs reform.” Bet365 attracted the most criticism around that time after the media highlighted how 22 of the 32 FA Cup third-round matches had been shown live on the online giant’s site and app. The FA’s contract with IMG is thought to be worth £750m, although this includes global media rights. The FA ended all contracts with gambling companies in 2017, resulting in it scrapping its deal with Ladbrokes signed the year before and believed to be worth £4m a year. The links between sport and gambling advertising and sponsorships is one aspect of the much-anticipated Gambling Act 2005 review. A ban on gambling shirt sponsorships appears to be a strong possibility amid criticism that the ubiquity of such deals normalises gambling among minors. The white paper outlining recommendations relating to updating the UK’s gambling laws is expected to be published in the coming months.