Nottingham Forest Must Remove Bally’s for Real Betis Europa League Clash

Nottingham Forest are set to look markedly different when they travel to Spain to take on Real Betis in their opening Europa League group match at the Estadio de La Cartuja this evening. Yes, the Bally’s logo will be missing from the front of their shirts.

Due to strict Spanish restrictions surrounding gambling advertising, Forest have had to be a bit more creative. This means Forest has reserved marketing space for their charitable arm, the Nottingham Forest Community Trust instead.

A club statement read: “Nottingham Forest Community Trust plays a vital role across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, using the power of sport, education, and wellbeing to help communities and individuals to thrive, with the aim of ensuring everybody - regardless of background - can reach their full potential.”

Compromise reached

While Bally’s have been sidelined, it is believed the betting giant proposed the idea that the shirt space should be dedicated to the Nottingham Forest Community Trust. This served to highlight Bally’s generosity.

Bally’s agreed a deal with Forest last month to feature on the men’s first team shirts and across their home ground, the City Ground. It is thought that Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis drove the deal over the line.

Although Forest has had to think outside the box, it is a bit of a blow given that the Bally’s deal will only last for the 2025/26 season. The Premier League have already announced that front-of-shirt sponsorship deals will be scrapped from the 2026/27 campaign.

Spain’s dim view of gambling ads

Spain has been a major sticking point for gambling advertising. It enacted one of the toughest policies worldwide in 2020 when it announced a blanket ban on sponsorships by betting companies. The ban extended to marketing bonuses while TV and radio ads were restricted between the hours of 1am and 5am.

The only exception to the rule has been the permission of social media advertising. A Supreme Court ruling passed last year allowed athletes and celebrities to appear in advertising campaigns and welcome bonuses.

In the meantime, major La Liga clubs have had to focus their attention elsewhere to strike up business. Real Madrid and Barcelona have targeted Latin America, Asia, and Africa, and these sponsorships centre around social media and online advertising as opposed to front-of-shirt deals.

Spain might not be an outlier

Clamping down on gambling advertising hasn’t been limited to Spain. The Netherlands also passed a landmark judgment in July, barring all forms of gambling ads in sports sponsorships.

In the Netherlands, it has been more of a phased campaign. The curbing of gambling advertising began in July 2023, with the authorities taking down gambling commercials on public broadcasting channels, including TV and radio. This was designed to help tackle problem gambling.

As far as Forest is concerned, they may have to pull Bally’s again during their Europa League campaign. The Midlands outfit is due to take on Dutch outfit Utrecht on December 11, so Forest may have to dedicate advertising space to the Trust once again.

Postecoglou eyes title defence

While Forest have had to change direction off the pitch, they will be hoping to transform their fortunes on it. Ange Postecoglou is still searching for his first win as Forest boss, and Europe could be the perfect distraction.