Bereaved mum calls on women’s football to reject gambling money

Kay Wadsworth, who lost her daughter Kimberly to gambling suicide, has written a powerful letter to the Women’s Super League calling on them to reject gambling partnerships.

Ahead of the Lionesses’ World Cup match against Denmark on July 28, Kay calls on the WSL to think of the wellbeing of their young fans.

“Women’s football has inspired a generation of girls in recent years, it can’t be used to gamble with their health and lives,” Kay says.

A recent study found up to 3500 gambling logos can appear during a men’s televised Premier League game, and Kay is calling on the women’s game not to go down the same road.

Earlier this year, the Premier League voted to remove gambling sponsors from the 2025/26 season onwards. However, this will only apply to front-of-shirt sponsors, and the same study found it will only reduce the number of visible gambling logos by 7%.

Several women’s teams, including West Ham, Stoke and Everton, are currently sponsored by gambling companies due to existing deals with the men’s teams.

“You only need to watch daytime TV to see gambling firms are targeting women more – ads showing women having fun gambling – and they’ll see the growing appeal of women’s football as an opportunity,” says Kay.

“Every day someone in the UK takes their life due to gambling, I lost my Kimberly, and I don’t want to see others go the same way.”

You can read Kay’s letter in full below.