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GAMSTOP Bets on the EPL with Crystal Palace FC
By Jeff Osienya Apr 01, 2021 IndustryThe Eagles and GAMSTOP pool resources to spark a safer gambling conversation among football fans in a new agreement. This is the second deal of its kind for Crystal Palace FC in about three years.GAMSTOP, UK’s free national self-exclusion toolkit service has joined forces with the Crystal Palace football club in a landmark partnership to encourage safer gambling. This is the first time that the self-exclusion service provider has teamed with a club from the English Premier League to ramp up its player protection initiatives.
Thanks to the new collaboration, the Eagles will now be promoting GAMSTOP’s self-exclusion services across its Twitter and Facebook handles, and all its other active social media channels. This information will be shared by both the gents’ and ladies’ teams of the football club, and further, the club will donate advertising space for GAMSTOP at its home ground, Selhurst Park.
In light of the latest arrangement, GAMSTOP’s CEO, Fiona Palmer said:
Quote“Crystal Palace’s support will be hugely beneficial in ensuring that people who could benefit from using GAMSTOP are aware of the scheme. The pandemic has led to increased sign-ups and we are trying to ensure that anybody who is struggling with their gambling, or has a loved one experiencing problems, knows where they can access support. The support of Crystal Palace will help us extend our reach and we hope that other Premier League and women’s clubs will follow their example.”
GAMSTOP on its part will be providing training for free to sensitize the football club and help them understand how the self-exclusion service can assist vulnerable individuals in the community around Crystal Palace FC’s South London home.
Following the new arrangement, Steve Parish, the Chairman of Crystal Palace FC voiced his team’s commitment to foster safer gambling with a few words saying:
Quote“We are delighted to be helping to raise awareness of this important service. Whilst most people who gamble on football do so to enhance their enjoyment of the sport, GAMSTOP gives anyone experiencing problems with their gambling a chance to regain control”.
The Eagles are the Reigning Safer Gambling Champions in the EPL
While it’s the first time that GAMSTOP has teamed up with a club from the English Premier League, for Crystal Palace, this is not the first time that the club has partnered with a gambling harm prevention organization. Back in 2018, the EPL club entered into a partnership with BeGambleAware, one of the UK’s leading safer gambling charity organizations. This was the first time that a deal of this kind had been made in the history of UK gambling and English football.
Like the latest GAMSTOP deal, 2018’s team up with BeGambleAware was for raising awareness and encouraging vulnerable sports betting fans to engage professionals about compulsive gambling problems. Since the inking of the agreement, The Eagles have been promoting responsible gambling messages across the perimeter of the Selhurst Park Pitch and screens within the stadium.
The messages are aimed at both spectators on the pitch and at-home viewers to keep the safer gambling conversation alive. Following the 2018 agreement, Marc Etches, the GamblwAware CEO said:
Quote“This is an important first step towards a deeper and broader action plan to address the ever-closer relationship between gambling and football. As the first professional football club to make this commitment, Crystal Palace is setting a great example to other clubs, and not only those with gambling sponsors because all benefit from the income that flows from television deals funded by the ever-growing amount of gambling advertising around live sport.”
True to Mr. Etche’s words, The Eagles are setting a great example especially right now when UK’s Gambling Act is facing a review as the debate of the relationship between gambling brands and professional sports in the UK continues to heat up.
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