Eredivisie clubs have no good word to say about the government's decision to ban sports sponsorship by online gambling companies by 2025. Clubs lose millions because of this. Many clubs from the Eredivisie and Keuken Kampioen Divisie made deals with online gambling companies such as BetCity, Circus, TOTO, Kansino and Unibet. According to the newspaper, the amounts sponsored vary between 500,000 and 5 million euros per season. The decision to prohibit sports sponsorship by online gambling companies from 2025 is therefore hard on the clubs.

Director of NEC and Go Ahead Eagles

The government has taken years to think about the consequences that sponsoring online gambling companies at football clubs could have," reacts NEC director Wilco van Schaik. But even before clubs can reap the benefits, the same government prohibits it again. Look before you leap, you might say. This way of decision-making comes across as very silly.

There is a lot of annoyance among club directors, including Go Ahead Eagles director Jan-Willem van Dop. "It is ridiculous what the cabinet is doing, I have no good word for it," says Van Dop. Holland Casino and the Friends Lottery have been partners of the Eredivisie for years. Why should state-owned companies be allowed to sponsor and commercial gambling companies not?