THE Football Association has pulled out of a £4million-a-year sponsorship deal with betting company Ladbrokes.
The move comes in the wake of Joey Barton’s 18-month ban for gambling in April, following which he was released from Burnley.
English football’s ruling body conducted a three-month review into its relationship with betting firms.
The decision to axe their deal comes just one year into a four-year contract.
Barton had criticised the FA’s “dependence on betting companies”.
FA chairman Greg Clarke highlighted the double standards displayed in having a close relationship with bookies.
He said: “I raised the relationship between betting and football at the start of the season when I took over as chairman.
“When this paper is produced the FA will take a measured decision on what our position should be. This is not linked to the Joey Barton case.
“The FA will decide what is appropriate for a governing body and there is a set of tests we would apply.
“They will be different to what should apply to clubs, as for a governing body they should be higher.”
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FA chief executive Martin Glenn said: "We would like to thank Ladbrokes for both being a valued partner over the last year and for their professionalism and understanding about our change of policy around gambling."
Ladbrokes chief executive Jim Mullen said: "We understand the FA's decision regarding their commercial partnerships on gambling."
He added that the company would continue to work with the FA "to ensure the integrity and trust of the sport is maintained".
In May it was claimed professional footballers had bet on their own transfers and lost thousands of pounds on smartphone casino games.
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