Sports betting, until very recently, was prohibited in Colombia. Historically we have extensive experience in this activity, the very old totogol and horse racing betting. Technology, the internet and, above all, smartphones gave new impetus to this practice that has penetrated and invaded football around the world.
For these companies, advertising is essential; They all offer practically the same product at the same time, which is why it is necessary to carry out intensive campaigns to attract the customer.
From the institutional name of Colombian professional soccer tournaments to advertising in most of the team's jerseys, these brands are in any place and time of Colombian professional soccer, as in most countries. T-shirts, static advertising, spots in matches, journalists and former players, social networks all speak well of sports betting and invites peope to bet.
The issue of betting has several issues; First of all, like the consumption of tobacco and alcohol, in many people it becomes a compulsive habit, gambling, which according to experts and the WHO is a disease.
They affirm that "the gambler is like a drug addict who needs gambling and does whatever it takes to play, that is, makes gambling an urgent first need." Gambling addiction is compared to that of products whose advertising is banned in football in most of the major championships.
Another matter of no less importance is the possibility of falsifying the results; Last week the president of a professional team indicated that sports results are being rigged because of the bets that are made on these matches. Since those dark 80s, it has been known that large amounts of money are wagered on soccer in Colombia. Sponsoring multiple teams is not the best option for this problem.
Gambling and match fixing is not a current problem; in 1919 because of underground betting the result of the baseball world series was rigged and the favorite team inexplicably lost; eight players were suspended for life and baseball eradicated this practice for a long time.
In football the great Paolo Rossi was involved in a gambling matter that marginalized him from football for two years and seven teams were sanctioned including AC Milan and Lazio who lost the category.
It also strikes me that teams and tournaments can use bookmaker advertising and individual players cannot, of course the example of Yerri Mina and the conflicts he had in England for advertising a bookmaker in Colombia.
Sports such as tennis are clear that bets modify the course of a match, especially when, as is happening in football, they bet on matters as insignificant as the number of corners or yellow cards. Betting, for example, on the number of double faults a player commits in a match may not change the final score, but it obviously changes the normal course of the match.
No one really want to end sports betting; simply eradicate them from soccer, this sport has enough problems; corruption, money laundering and bad practices of its leaders to add another.
Like tobacco and alcohol, the advertising of this activity cannot be in football.
