David Sneyd

THE NEGATIVE REACTION to Shamrock Rovers’ new sponsorship deal with a gambling company was not confined to numerous replies on social media.

Figures at League of Ireland clubs – not to mention within the FAI – were dismayed by the decision of the Premier Division champions to put NetBet’s logo on the sleeves of their jerseys for the upcoming season.

When the Premier Clubs’ Alliance (PCA) meets next week, it is a topic that is set to be the catalyst for plenty of healthy debate. Rovers’ new chief executive, Robbie Hedderman, began his role at the start of this month and will quickly get a lay of the land.

The FAI board decided against taking a gambling sponsor for the senior men’s team in 2021, and it has become a kind of de facto policy around the League of Ireland since Dundalk ended their partnership with a gambling firm in 2024.

In this instance, relating to the Rovers deal, the FAI also replied to a request for comment that it was a matter for the club and the company in question.

The 42 reported last year how more than €6m was being gambled on each League of Ireland Premier Division match, and how the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) states that one in 30 adults in Ireland suffers from problem gambling while men aged 18 to 34 “are the most likely to engage in high-risk gambling behaviours”.

It is against this backdrop that just last month, ahead of the launch of this 2026 season, the League of Ireland hailed “the rollout of an educational programme to proactively lead on the prevention of gambling harm in Irish football – a first-of-its-kind initiative”.

It’s a three-year deal endorsed by the FAI, National League Committee and the Professional Footballers Association of Ireland (PFA Ireland).

All of which adds to a sense around the league that Rovers have got this so wrong, and it is by no means a case of rivals feeling jealous at their superior commercial draw. Far from it, although it does speak to the drastic shift in attitude towards being involved with gambling companies that would have been prevalent even a few years ago. Rovers, for example, had a front-of-shirt gambling sponsor as recently as the 2021 and 2022 seasons.

Indeed, while the League of Ireland now seems to be an outlier around Europe by shunning gambling sponsorships, an alcohol company is one of the league’s primary partners.

Just last month research from Alcohol Action Ireland (AAI) found that 43,000 young people in this country are living with alcohol dependence, consumption among 15 to 24-year-olds has seen a dramatic 12% surge since 2015, and AAI chief executive Sheila Gilheany stated that “alcohol remains Ireland’s largest drug problem… In recent years, a narrative has emerged that youth drinking is perhaps no longer an issue in Ireland. However, this report challenges that myth in no uncertain terms”.

That is an uncomfortable truth to face up to.

For Rovers, on the back of being crowned champions in five of the last six Premier Division campaigns, qualifying for European league phase football in three of the last four years, and fresh from winning a league and FAI Cup double, it does seem they have snatched at the lowest of the low-hanging fruit with this gambling partnership.

Any club in the League of Ireland could have taken the easiest money on offer by taking on such a deal. Sources have explained how it is common to get up to three proposals a week from gambling firms – or agents on their behalf – offering the kind of lucrative endorsements that almost every commercial manager in the business would take in a heartbeat, but many clubs have made the decision to steer clear.

The 42 has also learned how a potential seven-figure package as part of a multi-year offer was left on the table by a club that refused to even consider getting in bed with a gambling sponsor on the front of their jersey.

Considering the millions that the Hoops have earned through their success on the pitch – at least €10m in prize money for their Uefa Conference League efforts under Stephen Bradley – it seems so completely unnecessary when the market value for such a sleeve sponsorship is €10,000-€50,000.

Unless, of course, some of the chatter doing the rounds that Rovers have been able to secure a six-figure fee proves to be correct.

Still, is it really worth it?

Rovers will be able to wear the sponsor on their sleeves during the qualification rounds for Europe this summer but, should they reach the league phase, they will be prohibited from doing so as Uefa has its own gambling partnerships to protect.

“Shamrock Rovers’ men’s first team is a professional adult squad, and the commercial agreement relates solely to sponsorship of that adult team’s sleeve. At no stage does this arrangement involve sponsorship of youth teams or youth competitions,” a club statement said.

“The delineation between adult professional sport sponsorship and child-focused activities is central to how these safeguards have been structured and interpreted… Both parties are committed to delivering a safer gambling message through the sleeve sponsorship.”

Rovers described this sponsorship as their “responsible gambling partner”, although a quick Google of NetBet followed by the words “responsible gambling” found that they were fined £650,000 (€746,000) by the UK Gambling Commission “after an investigation revealed a series of anti-money laundering and social responsibility failures”.

One of the questions The 42 put to Rovers was whether they were aware of this fine before signing up to the deal.

“Our approach has been carefully reviewed and aligned with established practice in professional sport, where adult teams may enter commercial relationships with gambling industry partners within the regulatory framework, provided the sponsorship does not extend to or promote gambling in contexts involving children. Both parties are committed to delivering a safer gambling message through the sleeve sponsorship,” the club statement read.

Two such failures of governance from Rovers’ new “responsible gambling partner” were stark, with the UK Commission detailing how one customer displayed a tendency to gamble throughout the early hours of the morning, starting their sessions at 11.35pm, 1.50am, 3.18am, 5.46am, and how “in one session the customer started gambling at 3.32am and by 3.35am on the same day, the customer had deposited and placed their whole balance of £1,500 on poker”.

The Commission also detailed a further breach, citing how “a customer displayed concerning behaviour in that they routinely exhausted their monthly deposit limit within a few minutes”.

“For example, they deposited £15,000 within 40 minutes in one session, then four weeks later £15,500 within two hours. Moreover, the customer was able to deposit £31,000 in a two-day period at the end of one month (£15,500) and the beginning of the next month (£15,500), because the limits set were per calendar month.

“Despite this concerning behaviour, it was only identified as an indicator of harm once the customer’s account was manually reviewed.”

Legislation in Ireland is still playing catch-up, and when the newly established Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) was contacted by The 42, a spokesperson explained that while the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 was signed into law in February 2025, it was only last week that the Commencement Order was signed that allowed for the GRAI to “begin accepting and processing applications for remote and in-person betting licences”.

They say this is a “significant milestone” as most of the conditions and obligations under the Act “only take effect when they have been licensed by the GRAI”.

This sponsorship for Rovers is also of significant interest because it will test the waters for the legality of such a deal in the future.

According to the GRAI spokesperson, Section 159 of the Act states that “licensed operators cannot sponsor an event aimed at children, or an event that the majority of those in attendance or competing in the event are children. Breaches of this legislation could constitute a criminal offence”.

Section 151 relates to branded clothing and merchandise and “specifically prohibits the manufacture, importation, sale or supply free of charge a branded article of clothing or merchandise intended to be worn by a child”.

Neither of these sections has taken effect, however, and the GRAI states that restrictions in terms of branded clothing and merchandise will only apply 12 months from the commencement of these obligations.

The Rovers statement added: “Should the regulatory context evolve with further guidance from GRAI on sponsorship or branded kit regulations, Shamrock Rovers will continue to review its commercial arrangements to ensure full and ongoing compliance.”

The 42 reported last season has how accumulative losses for League of Ireland clubs between 2022 and 2024 were €20m, so it’s clear that there will always be tough choices and hard decisions to make when it comes to the bottom line.

But for Rovers, this just feels like a problem that was easily avoidable.

Fixtures (All kick-offs 7.45pm unless stated)

Premier Division – Tonight: Shamrock Rovers v Shelbourne (Virgin Media, 8pm); St Patrick’s Athletic v Galway United; Derry City v Dundalk; Drogheda United v Waterford. Tomorrow: Sligo Rovers v Bohemians.

First Division – Tonight: Bray Wanderers v Longford Town; Athlone Town v Finn Harps; UCD v Kerry; Cork City v Treaty United; Cobh Ramblers v Wexford.