Betting and Gaming Council members are proud to support the beautiful game, with safer gambling and support for communities at the heart of our approach. And thanks to our members’ investment in football - from the grass roots to the top flight - millions more are able to watch and enjoy the game.

A ban on TV betting ads during live sports programmes has been hailed a huge success after the number of children viewing them plummeted.

Under the ‘whistle to whistle’ ban, ads cannot be shown from five minutes before a live sporting event until five minutes after it ends, before the 9pm watershed.

Research by Enders Analysis found that in its first 12 months in operation, the ban has led to a 97 per cent reduction in the number of TV betting adverts seen by children during that period.

Overall, the amount of gambling adverts viewed by youngsters also fell by 70 per cent over the full duration of live sports programmes, while the ban also contributed to a reduction of 1.7 billion views of betting ads during its first five months in operation.