The Big Step is a campaign to end all gambling advertising and sponsorship in football, led by people harmed by gambling. We are part of Gambling with Lives, a charity set up by the families and friends of young people who have taken their own lives as a direct result of gambling.
The Big Step campaign are very excited to announce that they are coming to Scotland in February. They are encouraging clubs, fans, and other organisations to join us!
From February 11–13th, more than 30 people harmed by gambling will walk from Edinburgh to Glasgow, visiting multiple football clubs along the way, both with and without gambling partners, including Rangers and Celtic.
A Spokesperson said “Despite the changes in scenery and season, our message remains the same: we want an end to all gambling advertising and sponsorship in football. We’ll be meeting with MPs, MSPs and football clubs along the way to help us achieve this.
We’ll be setting off from Edinburgh on Friday 10th February and walking to Hibernian and Hearts, before calling at Livingston, Motherwell, and Hamilton Academical on Saturday. Sunday sees us continue our walk to Glasgow, where we’ll be visiting Celtic, Partick Thistle, and Rangers, before ending at the national stadium, Hampden Park.
Our latest event comes as the government’s review of the UK’s outdated gambling laws enters a critical phase, with the results due in the coming months. Front-of-shirt gambling sponsorship is rumoured to be under serious review, but that doesn’t go far enough. If gambling advertising is deemed dangerous on a shirt, then it has no place anywhere in our game, including pitch-side advertising and league and cup sponsorship.”
James Grimes, founder of The Big Step, said:
“This walk comes as we stand at a crucial moment in history. Decision-makers must put the health of young fans first and end all gambling ads in football. If they don’t, we encourage every club in the country – including the ones we are visiting on this walk – to be brave and to say no to gambling sponsorship and advertising before the government makes the decision for them. This is their chance to be on the right side of history and we hope fans will help their club make this decision.”
If you’re interested in joining this walk, even just for a few miles, or if you want to greet the walkers at any of the stadiums, please get in touch with our Event Manager Emily ([email protected]) for a full copy of our itinerary.
If you want to keep the walkers fuelled during a chilly and treacherous walk, we have a BuyMeACoffee page, which will go directly towards food and soft/hot drinks for the group of people harmed by gambling.
