FA Cup rights deal: Government 'angry' about sale to betting firms - sports minister
- Published
Seven bookmakers have the rights to show FA Cup ties on their websites and apps
The government is "very angry" about the Football Association's decision to sell FA Cup broadcast rights via a third party to gambling websites, sports minister Nigel Adams has said.
Adams also said he would be meeting the FA next week to discuss the issue.
"I have spoken to the FA," he said. "The Prime Minister has made his views very clear.
"[The FA is] also looking at all options to see if this current deal can be restricted."
Since the start of last season, seven bookmakers - Bet365, Betfair, William Hill, Coral, Ladbrokes, Unibet and Paddy Power - have had rights, acquired via agency IMG, to show FA Cup ties on their websites and apps.
In the case of Bet 365, the matches are available to anyone who has placed a bet or put a deposit in their account in the 24 hours before kick-off.
IMG has also sold streaming rights to betting companies overseas but has not told BBC Sport how many or which.
A statement from Brigid Simmonds, chairman of the Betting and Gaming Council, on behalf of the betting companies or their owners said: "Our members did not seek exclusivity for the rights to screen FA Cup games.
"They are therefore happy for IMG to offer the rights to screen these games to the Football Association or another appropriate body so that the games can be viewed for free by the public with immediate effect."
The FA announced it was cutting its ties with gambling firms in July 2017, but this deal was done in January 2017.
"We're very angry as a government as well with this arrangement, especially on a weekend when the FA very worthily had the Heads Up mental health campaign," said Adams - speaking on behalf of the Secretary of State for Digital, Media, Culture and Sport - in response to an urgent question in the House of Commons from Labour MP Carolyn Harris.
"We have asked the FA to look at this current deal, see what opportunities there are to rescind this particular element of the deal, and I will be meeting with the FA next week.
"It's absolutely right that the FA - [and] all sporting bodies who have links with sponsors across all sectors - need to be very mindful of impact that such deals have on vulnerable people."
FA 'more than embarrassed'
Twenty-three third-round matches were available to watch on Bet365 last weekend - all those that did not kick off at 15:01 GMT on Saturday.
The FA has said it will "review this element of the media rights sales process ahead of tendering rights from the 2024-25 season", but the government want it to look at taking action earlier.
"This arrangement is not solely through Bet365. There are six other gambling companies who do have the rights to these broadcasts," said Adams.
"I have a number of commitments from the FA in this regard. They will not be renewing this deal when it comes up. They're also looking at all options to see if this current deal can be restricted.
"I would urge all other sporting bodies to look at their broadcast agreements."
He added: "It is absolutely right that the FA act urgently on this.
"They are - it's fair to say from the conversation I had this morning - more than embarrassed from this situation and we will be making it very clear when we have a face-to-face meeting with them next week what steps we expect them to take next."