Kieran Maguire issues 'insidious' claim after Aston Villa new deal is sealed
There is little risk that Aston Villa will be forced to drop their gambling sponsorships any time soon.
So says finance guru Kieran Maguire, speaking exclusively to Football Insider after Villa announced a deal with Parimatch on 13 September.
Everton, Brighton, Southampton, Leicester and Chelsea have all also recently signed off on partnerships with the online bookmaker.
The Government is currently reviewing betting sponsorship laws and independent reviews have proposed the idea of an outright ban.
But Maguire predicts that the gambling brands' friends in high places mean they will weather the storm.
"The two camps, for and against gambling in football, are very entrenched," he told Football Insider correspondent Adam Williams.
"The gambling industry is lobbying fiercely to the government to say that it has got its house in order.
"The insidious way that the gambling industry makes one rule and then makes up a solution too it is very apparent.
"So, yes, there are no adverts from whistle to whistle anymore. But then you also see that the matches are sponsored by Bet365.
"TalkSPORT are also giving the odds as part of the commentary. This is all part of the normalisation of gambling.
"That is something the industry is very keen to promote, even if they are being forced to withdraw in certain areas.
"But you saw the number of MPs that were wined and dined at the Euros. They have the ears of some of those who make the decisions."