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Update on the Review of the Gambling Act 2005: Financial Risk Checks, Age Verification Processes and More to Follow

As commented on earlier this week by the Gambling Commission (“GC”) in its blog post, today sees the introduction of the requirement for online gambling operators to introduce what it describes as “light-touch” financial vulnerability checks and also the introduction of a pilot scheme on additional financial risk assessments for the largest online gambling operators. … Continue Reading

Gambling Sponsorship Codes of Conduct: What are they likely to mean for gambling sponsorship in the football and horseracing industries?

Last month, both the English football industry and British horseracing industry published codes of conduct which address sponsorship arrangements between stakeholders in each of those sports and betting companies.  These codes of conduct have been prepared following the 2020 Gambling Act 2005 Review, and the subsequent release of the White Paper ‘High Stakes: Gambling Reform … Continue Reading

All I Want for Christmas is Effective Sports Governance

At the start of this year, following his appointment as Chair of the UK’s Department for Culture, Media, and Sport (“DCMS”), Damian Green MP put sports governance firmly on the agenda. This commitment came after the publication of the Whyte Review in June 2022 (the “Review“), which was an independent report into allegations of mistreatment … Continue Reading

Tackling Online Abuse In Sport: The UK’s Online Safety Act 2023

After years in the making, the Online Safety Act (the “OSA”) has come into force after receiving Royal Assent on 26 October 2023 (as discussed in our blog here). Amidst the proliferation of social media use, there has been a worrying increase in the levels of abuse that players, athletes, officials, managers, coaches and other … Continue Reading

Crossing The Line: Criminal Liability On The Field Of Play

Introduction In February 2023, as discussed in a previous blog article, an amateur rugby player was held liable by the English civil courts for injuring an opposition player “without any regard for [their] wellbeing or safety… and intent only on exactly revenge”.[1] Given the nature of the offending ‘tackle’ (which rendered the claimant paraplegic and … Continue Reading

Changes to the “crown jewel” sports events amid UK broadcasting review: An updated analysis of the UK’s Listed Events Regime

Following on from the growing popularity and success of the Women’s Super League and the great form of the England’s Women’s Team, there is a real sense of anticipation and excitement ahead of the UEFA Women’s European Championship finals, to be kicked off this Wednesday by England’s Lionesses versus Austria. In late April, the UK … Continue Reading

What’s next for European sports governance and how will it address its current challenges?

Sports governance became a hot topic within Europe in 2021, particularly in light of the proposed establishment of new competitions, particular football club takeovers, and financial fair play matters, as well as the challenges posed by the Covid 19 pandemic to sport’s sustainability. The ‘specificity of sport’ was recognised by the amended Treaty of the … Continue Reading

Does the buyout market reflect a competitive imbalance in the NBA?

Last Thursday marked the NBA trade deadline, meaning teams can no longer trade players on their rosters. However, after the deadline, there remain no restrictions on teams signing free agents. Coincidentally, after the trade deadline, some players and teams enter into buyouts whereby that player is bought out of his current contract and becomes a … Continue Reading

Are Digital Health Passports the Key to Unlocking UK Stadiums? The data privacy perspective

The ban on mass gatherings in order to combat the spread of COVID-19 resulted in the cancellation or postponement of sporting fixtures and live events globally. This includes the English Premier League that had to postpone all fixtures following the lockdown. On 10 May 2020, Boris Johnson announced that, as part of the UK government’s … Continue Reading

How is President Trump’s withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear deal related to the FIFA World Cup?

I admit I was disappointed picking Iran in the office World Cup sweepstake. I was even more disappointed when I then discovered the national side had not been supplied with their usual Nike football boots shortly before the tournament. Nike withdrew their supply of boots to Iran due to US sanctions. In May 2018, Donald … Continue Reading

Changes to Consumer Rights Act 2015 to offer great protection to Consumers in Secondary Ticket Market

From 6 April 2018, new rules enter into force which will impact significantly on the online resale of events tickets in the UK, bringing notable changes to the manner in which tickets may be resold for admission to sporting events, as well as other recreational and cultural events. These new requirements come into force under … Continue Reading
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