The sports committee of the German Bundestag, Germany‘s national parliament, rejected a proposed ban on sports sponsorship at a public meeting. Experts quoted the critical funding that sponsorships give to German sports as the primary reason for their rejection.
Managing director of the Association of Sports Sponsorship Providers, Inka Müller-Schmäh emphasized the need for a legal framework to support the continuation of sports sponsorships. She said that sports sponsorship must remain possible, no matter where, when, and how sport takes place and it broadcast.
German gambling faces noteworthy challenges, especially with black market activity. Strict regulations have driven many players towards offshore operators. According to University of Leipzig study in 2023, only 50.7% of German players bet with legal online operators. This raises concerns about bettor safety.
Current regulations restrict operators from advertising online and on television between 9 pm and 6 am. Authorities are also restricting the use of sports clips in advertising, as well as partnerships with sports personalities and influencers. Managing director of the German Sports Betting Association or DSWV, Luka Andric criticized these extremely strict restrictions.
Other European countries are also seeing sponsorship ban. Since July of last year, the Netherlands has banned sports sponsorships by gambling operators. They allow a transition period for existing agreements to end.
Premier League clubs in England agreed to stop front-of-shirt sponsorships by gambling companies starting from the end of the 2025-26 season. But in April, Aston Villa got a deal with Betano to make it a front-of-shirt sponsor until 2026.
