Smarkets and Mansion join sports boycott of social media 

Online betting exchange Smarkets and Gibraltar bookmaker Mansion Group have confirmed that they will participate in a global sports boycott of social media platforms, protesting online abuse and racism. 

The betting incumbents will unite with global sports’ governing bodies, clubs, athletes, sponsors and broadcasters to pressure social media platforms to eliminate online hate, as well as ensure that online environments can be a place for sports fans to discuss, debate and consume sports without discrimination and abuse. 

Global sports boycotts of social media will begin on 3pm Friday 30 April and end on 12:00 pm Monday 3 May, with stakeholders placing no content or updates on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin, YouTube, Snapchat and Tik Tok platforms.

Participating governing bodies include UEFA, The FA, Premier League, LTA, England Rugby, Scottish Football, UK athletics and the Gallagher Premiership. 

Mansion Group released a statement, confirming that it would join its English football partners Bristol City, Newcastle United and Millwall FC in participating in the #NoRoomForRacism blackout.

Dana Bocker, Head of Integrated Marketing at MansionBet said: “We stand with our partners and all football leagues in their continued fight against racism. As a mark of respect for the clubs we sponsor and their players, we are proud to join in this movement.”

Notable sponsors participating in the boycott include Premier League sponsor Barclays, Budweiser, Adidas and Cazoo.  

This afternoon Smarkets issued a statement of support for the boycott, underlining the importance of all sports stakeholders to ‘come together and eradicate online hate’.

“This is a crucial issue that requires real engagement from social media companies, who must do more to tackle the unacceptable abuse on their platforms,” Smarkets statement read.

“We applaud the footballing organisations that launched this initiative, which has grown to include a broader collection of sporting bodies and brands that stand against racism and discrimination of any kind.”