Dr Dan: Ruling body could ‘clamp down’ on Man United after news reported
Man United may see partnerships with firms like HTH come under pressure from an independent regulator for English football.
So says finance expert Doctor Dan Plumley, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the deal United struck with the bookmaker in May this year.
The Times reported on 3 December that the Chinese-owned company’s UK website is still not operational and appears to be a ‘white label’ platform.
White label businesses operate as a proxy for other corporate entities, often to bypass territorial red tape within the gambling industry.
The fan-led review of English football, released 24 November, proposed an independent regulator (IREF) to adjudicate on matters of governance.
Plumley predicts that IREF could prevent United from putting pen to paper on deals such as the one with HTH in future.
“The moral concern is front and centre with this one,” he told Football Insider‘s Dylan Childs.
“Questions about the game’s relationship with gambling have already been raised.
“We’re looking particularly at these companies which are primarily based in the Asian market.
“Questions will continue to be asked as more of these deals are signed.
“Clubs are under pressure to generate more and more money. But there are concerns about who some of these Premier League clubs are choosing to align themselves with.
“With this company, despite the fact we don’t know a lot about them, they have also partnered with Lille and Wolfsburg.
“This is interesting that they seem to be trying to gain traction in football.
“Even six months down the line from the initial press release, the website isn’t ready and we don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes.
“This could be something that an independent regulator clamp down on within the Premier League in the future.”
United generated £232.2million in commercial revenue over the last recorded financial year.
They are currently 5th in the Premier League standings ahead of their trip to Brentford tomorrow (14 December) evening.
In other news, pundit issues Man United transfer claim after “noise about four players” ahead of January.