A Dutch football club has opted to retract its proposed advertisement featuring the club captain on a city building following a warning from the Gaming Authority (KSA).
The plan involved displaying a life-size image of the captain adorned in a shirt bearing the logo of an online gaming provider with which the club has a sponsorship contract.
The KSA asserted that such an act would be in violation of regulations, prompting the football club to abandon the initiative.
Initially intended as a tribute, the KSA was alerted to the football club's proposal, deeming it not a case of sports sponsorship but rather untargeted advertising for online gambling.
In contrast to sports sponsorship – which entails a neutral mention of the sponsor's logo or name on professional athletes' attire – this instance lacked a direct relationship between the promotion, the practice of the sport and the venue where the sport is played.
The KSA further suggested that such advertising could potentially infringe on the ban against using role models, considering that the advert intended to feature a well-known athlete.
The KSA communicated its stance to the football club, the gaming provider and the municipality where the advertisement was intended. Additionally, the KSA warned that proceeding with the plans would result in a preventive sanction.
Consequently, the football club chose to withdraw the intended advertisement, preemptively putting an end to the potential violation.
