Kieran Maguire: Man City to bypass new legislation amid ‘Government pressure’
Man City and clubs under the City Football Group umbrella will likely find ways to bypass new curbs on gambling sponsorship in football.
That is the view of finance guru Kieran Maguire, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the latest commercial deal struck by City Football Group subsidiary Mumbai City.
As relayed by Inside World Football on Monday (22 August), the Indian side have signed a shirt sponsor deal with Stake News.
Stake News is an affiliate of cryptocurrency-based bookmaker Stake.com.
Analysts have suggested that the new partnership is a way for the club to bypass India’s ban on betting sponsorship.
It has been widely reported that the Premier League will soon implement a ban on front-of-shirt gambling sponsorship amid lobbying from the UK Government.
Maguire argues that Man City could bypass future legislation in a similar manner to Mumba City
“On a broader issue, we are seeing a move towards gambling with a small ‘g’ as a source of funding for clubs,” he told Football Insider’s Adam Williams.
“There is a little bit but not very much pressure coming from the Government to address the front-of-shirt issue.
“It would appear the people in the gambling industry are incentivised to go through the small print with a fine tooth comb and find ways to circumvent any rules.
“I think this is an indication that the close relationship between football and gambling is unlikely to be diluted any time soon. I don’t think these voluntary restrictions are going to have a major effect.”
In other news, Paul Robinson issues “big” Man City verdict after Aymeric Laporte pictures emerge.