Villa supporters criticise club's sponsorship deal with betting firm

Norwich City cancelled a sponsorship deal with BK8 in 2021 following a backlash from supporters

Birmingham, Britain (Reuters) - Aston Villa's new front-of-shirt sponsorship deal with an online betting firm is a "cynical attempt" at financial gain and ignores concerns about gambling sponsorship in sports, the Aston Villa Supporters' Trust (AVST) said on Thursday.

Villa have agreed to a partnership with Asia-based online betting firm BK8 until the end of the 2025-26 campaign, when Premier League clubs will withdraw gambling sponsorships from the front of their matchday shirts.

Norwich City cancelled a sponsorship deal with BK8 in 2021 after three days following a backlash from supporters over its sexualised marketing material involving young women.

"Though we acknowledge the commercial reality, we sadly feel the club has failed to listen to the legitimate concerns of fans about the role of gambling sponsorship in sports," AVST said in a statement."The BK8 agreement is a cynical last-minute attempt to scoop the financial gains ahead of the voluntary ban on front-of-shirt gambling sponsors.

"While we understand fans, players and club staff alike want Villa to be as successful as possible, that should not come at the expense of exposing fans to the exploitative practices of gambling operators, especially during a cost-of-living crisis."

BK8 will make a contribution to a local charity in Birmingham for every sale of Villa's third kit, the club said in a statement announcing the partnership.

"The move comes off the back of BK8's previous work over the past two years, working with charities and programmes involving mental health awareness, and this initiative is the first of what will be a number of collaborations with the club," Villa added. AVST said they welcomed the funding but added "it should not come at the expense of others".

The supporters' club added it had highlighted the social and mental harms caused by gambling addiction and expressed concerns about BK8's "misogynistic" marketing practices in a joint statement with Villa fan groups in January.

"At the time, we were given assurances of the club's due diligence process and advised that the misogynistic practices were that of a BK8 affiliate," AVST said. Reuters has contacted Aston Villa and BK8 for comment.