Scottish soccer club Rangers FC confirmed today that they have ended their betting partnership with Ladbrokes. The betting deal will end post the 2019/2020 season.

What is the deal?

Rangers FC had an in-stadium betting deal with Ladbrokes, a British betting and gambling company owned by GVC Holdings. The deal allowed fans to place bets right in the stadium at Ladbrokes kiosks on matchdays. Ladbrokes continues to be the sponsor of the Scottish Premier Football League (SPFL). However, the company does not plan to have any presence in the Scottish stadium from the 2020/2021 season.

Rangers confirmed the rumors about the partnership breakup after receiving multiple inquiries from fans and supporters on social media. It issued a statement, writing,

“Rangers Football Club contract with Ladbrokes as a provider of in-stadia betting services will come to an end in advance of next Season 2020/2021.”

Rangers is eyeing its 150th anniversary in 2022 and is now looking for new kinds of sponsorship opportunities. It retains a sponsorship agreement with the 32Red Sportsbook.

GVC Holdings moving away from soccer deals

The parent company of Ladbrokes, GVC Holdings, is working on a new strategy to ensure that it moves its brands away from soccer team sponsorships. The company is also planning to stop sports betting ads during the broadcast of soccer games. It also doesn’t aim to continue with pitchside advertising. As a result of this new approach, the company will stop working with Celtic FC once the current scene ends. The company is trying to take a lead in this initiative and encourage others as well. Several experts believe that there are too many gambling-related advertisements during live soccer events which could be very harmful to vulnerable people.

Scottish football and gambling have made headlines this year. In February, the Scottish FA announced that its sports betting partnership with William Hill will not be renewed. The company was the title sponsor for the Scottish Cup tournament. The company has been the official betting partner of the national team since 2011. The Scottish FA also banned an international player for violating its gambling rules. However, it did not reveal the name of the player. Earlier this year, Hamilton FC head coach Brian Rice was also hit with a 10-game suspension for similar reasons.