A new era for Scottish football

This Saturday dawns the start of a new era of Scottish football. Pre-season preparations are completed, and fans are ready to return to the terraces. Everyone is vying for their shot at success. But this year, the prize at the end of the season will look different.

Earlier this year, the SPFL announced a new partnership with William Hill. Under the record-breaking, five-year deal, which begins at the start of this season, William Hill will become the title sponsor of all four SPFL divisions as well as the Official Betting Partner of the SPFL. This will see the four SPFL divisions become the William Hill Premiership, William Hill Championship, William Hill League 1, and William Hill League 2. It’s a significant agreement – the largest in the SPFL’s history – and sets the stage for months of exciting, high-octane football.

At William Hill, we are really excited about this partnership. It’s a fantastic opportunity for us to play a leading role in some of the fiercest football in the United Kingdom while strengthening brand awareness and affinity with the passionate Scottish football fans. What excites us most about the sponsorship is the programme that extends beyond the 90 minutes of a matchday.

Over the course of the season, we will use our partnership with the SPFL to highlight the importance of safer gambling. At William Hill, we’ve partnered with EPIC Global Solutions—a global consultancy focused on global harm prevention—to launch a multi-year, first-of-its-kind programme on gambling harm awareness across Scottish football for SPFL players, staff, and supporters.

Like most of the nation, we enjoy a social bet. Sports betting can add to the entertainment and thrill of a fixture, provide an opportunity to back your team or showcase your sporting knowledge. However, we also acknowledge that sports betting can become problematic for a small minority and can, in some instances, lead to gambling-related harm. Through our partnership with EPIC, we will tackle this issue head-on.

Over the coming months, EPIC will deliver impactful and interactive workshops across all 42 SPFL clubs to educate players and backroom staff on the dangers of gambling harm in the elite sports environment. This will ensure all participants have a greater understanding of gambling-related harm and where to access support. EPIC will also deliver sessions to supporter groups and community groups at clubs that have Community Trusts. In-person sessions will be supported by ongoing digital content that pushes safer gambling messaging to each club’s stakeholders.

The multi-stakeholder, multi-channel campaign led by EPIC will provide a fantastic opportunity for us to engage a variety of audience groups across Scotland. And it’s a model that has already been proven outside of Scotland. Results from similar programmes by EPIC in world sport consistently show that more than nine out of ten professional athletes gain confidence on how and where to seek support if they are worried about their gambling behaviour as a result of the sessions.

Over the course of the next five years we will be a proper supporter of Scottish Football. This means Safer gambling is, and always will be, at the heart of William Hill and our sponsorship of the SPFL. We take our role seriously. Our programme isn’t one that will be delivered off-the-cuff; it’s a programme that is bespoke to Scottish football and designed to deliver real impact for all stakeholders. By combining this with our headline sponsorship, we will not only play our role in creating new memories for fans but also ensure that sports betting is as it is intended: social, fun, and safe.

By Daryl West, Head of Media, Sponsorship and Social at William Hill