ECB ‘exploring’ McCullum appearances in divisive gambling adverts

The ECB has launched discussions with representatives of Brendon McCullum about his involvement with the bookmaker 22Bet after the England head coach appeared in a string of adverts that have caused controversy in his native New Zealand.

Many YouTube users in the country had complained about being bombarded with McCullum’s adverts for the company, until Google pulled them on Tuesday for violating its policies. A spokesperson for New Zealand’s Problem Gambling Foundation called the campaign “the most aggressive marketing I’ve ever seen” while Barbara Edmonds, the minister of internal affairs, promised to “contact 22Bet to communicate our concerns about the misleading nature of their advertising”.

The company’s marketing is claimed to have insinuated that they were registered in New Zealand, when it has its headquarters in Cyprus and licensed in Curacao.

Under the ECB’s anti-corruption code “participants” are prohibited both from themselves betting on matches and also from “directly or indirectly enticing, persuading, encouraging or facilitating any other party to enter into a bet in relation to the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of any match or competition”.

“We are currently exploring the matter and in discussions with Brendon around his relationship with the Cypriot-based betting company, 22Bet,” the ECB said in a statement. “We have rules in place around gambling and will always seek to ensure these are followed.” McCullum’s agent, Simon Auteri, confirmed that conversations were ongoing.

New Zealand’s Problem Gambling Foundation had complained to the ECB about the adverts last week. Cameron Rodger, chief commercial officer of New Zealand’s Totalisator Agency Board, commonly known as The Tab, a statutory