A Hackney football club has backed a campaign to end gambling advertising in football.

Fan-owned club Clapton CFC have become the 17th club to back The Big Step's campaign to end all gambling advertising and sponsorship in football.

The government pledged to review the 2005 Gambling Act to ensure its fitness in a "digital age", but the overhaul of the legislation has been delayed.

Clapton CFC spokesperson Joe Cassidy said: "In line with our ethical investment and sponsorship policies, we would not accept money from gambling companies, as we know the damage and poverty that gambling addiction can cause to individuals and their families.”

“Clapton fans of all ages will never be exposed to gambling ads from our club or from anyone representing it.

"We are more than happy to join the Big Step campaign.”

The review could see gambling shirt sponsorship banned in the Premier League, according to a report by Sportsmail.

But The Big Step and Clapton CFC are demanding an end to all promotion of gambling across all levels of football.

CFC was formed by life members and supporters of Clapton FC.

Public Health England (PHE) published a report in September of last year revealing that in 2019 gambling cost England around £1.27 billion

The report stated that gambling should be "considered a public health issues", with evidence suggesting people with gambling problems are at least twice as likely to die from suicide compared to the general population.

James Grimes, founder of The Big Step and recovering gambling addict, said: “Football supporters are sick of the nauseating amount of gambling advertising in our sport, so it feels special for a fan-owned club like Clapton CFC to support our efforts."

An FA spokesperson said: "We made a clear decision on The FA’s relationship with gambling companies in June 2017 when we ended our partnership with Ladbrokes. The leagues and clubs govern their own relationships with gambling companies."

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) has been contacted for comment.

Find out more about campaign at the-bigstep.com