EFL clubs still receive a direct deduction of gamblers’ losses as part of a now closed scheme with their betting partner.
Since 2013, clubs have received a share of these losses if a customer signs up to Skybet through the club’s website.
English Football League clubs says the deal was scrapped to focus more on safe gambling during the 2019-20 season.
But clubs are still collecting money from consumer losses as a legacy of the deal.
This part will continue until at least 2023-24 when the Skybet contract expires, but the EFL said “all sign-up links via EFL digital channels have been removed”.
Accrington Stanley chairman Andy Holt tweeted his club’s digital deal with the EFL on Tuesday night to highlight the club’s revenue from streaming matches online.
The document shows that Accrington received no income from the affiliate scheme, referred to as ‘EFL Digital Share of Losses’, despite the EFL having a multi-million pound contract with the gambling firm.
“I didn’t know there was (or is) an agreement with the betting companies,” Holt said. “We have zero revenue and I will not allow my staff to encourage gambling.
“But again, regardless of opinion on betting, it highlights an institutional bias on the part of the EFL in favor of the big clubs.”
Campaign group The Big Step described the affiliation scheme, where companies encourage gamblers to bet with a particular firm for a percentage of losses, as “unacceptable”.
An EFL spokesman said: “When the EFL and Sky Bet renewed their long-standing partnership for the 2019-20 season, we focused more on putting safe gambling at the heart of the agreement. As a result, Previous affiliation scheme closed
“While some clubs receive income from legacy sign-ups that took place prior to the new deal, the scheme associated with this space was phased out and all sign-up links through EFL digital channels have been removed. “
The EFL did not say how many clubs had previously benefited from the deal or which clubs still received money from it.
James Grimes, founder of The Big Step, said: “It is unacceptable that, through an unhealthy league sponsorship deal, every EFL club is forced to expose their fans to an addictive gambling product. Quit cutting your losses.
“Many of these fans will suffer catastrophically and some will die. Clubs benefiting directly from the inevitable loss is a game-changer in the fight to end sponsorship of gambling in football. Shouldn’t say it’s normal or safe.”
