September 22 - The Gambling Commission in the United Kingdom has stepped into
the middle of a Welsh soccer team sponsorship deal and ruled against it.
Last week, the Asian based 777ball.com sports betting group signed a
lucrative deal with Cardiff City Football Club, where it was decided that that
team would wear 777ball's logo on its club shirts.
However, the Gambling Commission examined the matter and ruled that since
777ball has not been included on the White List, it may not advertise its gaming
operations in the country, even through a sponsorship deal.
The English White List incorporates names of selected groups and
jurisdictions that are deemed appropriate to advertise their services in the UK
market. Inclusion on the list means that the gambling group meets the required
standards of transparency, fair gaming and underage gambling restrictions.
The Gambling Commission showed that 777ball.com had never applied for White
List status and was therefore not included on the list.
777ball.com officials flew to the UK from the Philippines to meet Risdale and
other team representatives in a bid to solve the problem.
The Chairman of Cardiff City Football Club, Peter Ridsdale, said about the
latest ruling: We are in discussions with others who are interested in
sponsorship. I'm confident that we will be able to replace them if we are unable
to resolve this to everyone's satisfaction. If anything, the best thing to come
out of this is that it shows the power of advertising."
"It is a disappointment, not an embarrassment," he continued. "We cleared
everything with the Football League."
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