Reading FC have faced backlash from some fans after the announcement of their latest sponsor.
The club announced that they have signed a two-year partnership with ‘PricedUp’, who become the club’s official betting partner ahead of the new season.
This has prompted some angry and disappointed responses from some sections of the fanbase on social media.
One fan said: “That’s really disappointing from the club. I can get behind most of what the new ownership is doing and planning to do, but this is a real step in the wrong direction. We shouldn’t be having any betting or gambling sponsorships. A real shame the new leadership approved this.”
Another said: “Gambling ruins people’s lives, not impressed.”
Another user on X said: “I’ll be so pleased in years to come when this is no longer allowed and is viewed in the same way as smoking around kids.”
Gambling companies being used as sponsors has become a very contentious issue throughout the footballing world.
A study by the Guardian in 2024 found that across the top 31 leagues in the UK and EU, two thirds of the 442 teams had some form of betting partnership.
