Most of us know Mikel Arteta as the man in the technical area, but it’s easy to forget he arrived at Arsenal in 2011 as a ready-made leader precisely because he’d already done the job at Everton, wearing their armband for years under David Moyes before crossing to the Emirates. That kind of crossover between two clubs stuck in my head reading a completely different story this month – not about Everton itself, but about how thoroughly one gambling brand has now written itself into Scottish football’s identity.
William Hill’s name is now the league itself
Since the 2024-25 season, William Hill hasn’t just sponsored Scottish football – it’s become part of its name. William Hill signed a five-year, record-breaking title sponsorship deal covering all four SPFL divisions, worth up to £10 million, meaning the top flight is now officially the William Hill Premiership, right down to League Two. It’s the kind of naming-rights depth that doesn’t really have an equivalent in England, where sponsorship money tends to sit on a shirt front rather than inside the league’s own name.
The same deal is funding something a bit different underneath
What’s easy to miss in a headline sponsorship number is the education programme running alongside it. More than 350 SPFL academy players and coaches have taken part in gambling harm awareness sessions this season, delivered by EPIC Global Solutions and led largely by former professional footballers who’ve dealt with their own gambling problems. Ninety-three percent of attendees rated the sessions as genuinely impactful, and the programme has now expanded from academy age groups into SPFL women’s football too. It’s a rare example of a sponsorship deal directly funding harm-prevention work inside the same clubs it’s paying to sponsor, rather than the two things existing on entirely separate tracks.
Where this leaves anyone backing Everton specifically
None of this is really about Scottish football at all if you support a Premier League side, but the operator behind it is the same one many Everton fans will already recognise. Anyone checking what William Hill, a Gambling Commission-licensed operator, currently has on offer for Everton fixtures can find William Hill’s current promo code and sign-up terms on ToffeeWeb, along with the full eligibility rules, deposit limits, and terms that apply before signing up.
Arteta’s own history is a reminder these lines blur constantly
It’s worth going back to where this started – Arsenal Mania’s own look back at Arteta’s playing career here covers exactly this kind of transition, from a player wearing another club’s armband to becoming ours. Fandom likes to draw hard lines between clubs, but the people actually running and playing for them cross those lines constantly, whether it’s a captain moving between London and Merseyside or a betting brand’s name ending up stitched into a completely different national league than the one most of its customers actually follow.
The part underneath all of this
None of it changes what actually matters most, which has nothing to do with sponsorship deals or academy education programmes on their own. According to the Gambling Commission’s 2025 Gambling Survey for Great Britain, 2.4% of adults – roughly 1.3 million people – meet the threshold for problem gambling, with a further 3.1% classed as at-risk. The warning signs are specific: chasing losses with bigger stakes, hiding how much time or money is going into betting, needing bigger bets to get the same feeling, and feeling anxious or irritable when unable to gamble. None of that requires being a lifelong bettor first, and it’s exactly the pattern that programmes like EPIC’s are trying to catch earlier in young players before it takes hold. Anyone recognising those signs, in themselves or someone close to them, can contact GamCare or use GAMSTOP to self-exclude from every UK-licensed gambling site at once.
Where that leaves the bigger picture
Arteta’s path from Everton’s captain to Arsenal’s manager was never really about loyalty to one badge over another – it was about doing the job well wherever he was needed. William Hill’s name now sits atop a league most of its English customers barely watch, funding education programmes for teenagers who’ll probably never place a bet with the company at all. Football’s business relationships turn out to be just as cross-wired as its players’ careers.
18+. Gambling can be addictive. Please play responsibly. Gambling is strictly prohibited for individuals under the age of 18. Need help? Visit GambleAware.org or call 0808 8020 133 (available 24/7). You can self-exclude from all UK-licensed gambling websites via GAMSTOP. Support is also available via GamCare. All promotions are subject to eligibility, wagering requirements, and full T&Cs. See operator site for details. Commercial content – contains an affiliate link.