UK Lords Leave Sports Data License Plan Out of Events Bill

UK lawmakers have left a proposed sports data licensing offense outside the Sporting Events Bill. The bill has now entered the House of Commons without the measure.

Lord Don Foster of Bath proposed making it an offense for a gambling business to offer betting on a covered sporting event without a license from the relevant sporting event controlling body. The proposed license would have governed the use of data from the event. It would also have covered:

Integrity information-sharing;
Fees payable to the controlling body;
Restrictions on betting markets presenting unmanageable integrity risks.

Licensing Plan Falls Before Commons Stage

The proposed license could also have prohibited betting on particular contingencies where the controlling body considered that they posed unmanageable integrity risks to the event. There were criminal sanctions in the draft, with a fine of up to £50,000 in Northern Ireland, and the relevant controlling body could seek an injunction and damages following a conviction.

The sports rights amendments were not added to the bill at report stage. Foster withdrew the lead amendment after the government declined to support it. No amendments were put forward ahead of third reading on July 21, and the bill then passed to the House of Commons.

Government Points to Illegal Gambling Taskforce

The government said it had no reason to believe that the sharing of sports data with unlicensed operators was currently a significant issue. It added that the matter could be considered through the Illegal Gambling Taskforce if further action became necessary.

Such an approach leaves sports data out of the primary concerns of the bill. The bill itself aims at creating a flexible legal framework for large-scale events. In its present form, it addresses issues like ticket touting, restricted advertising and trading zones, event funding, and unauthorized commercial association.

Lord Foster indicated that existing agreements are hard to enforce if companies gather or redistribute data without any permission. He cited LSports as an example during the discussion and accused it of gathering UK sports data without having a license.

LSports did not agree with the accusations of piracy in connection with its business. It indicated that its activities were lawful and it generated its data with the help of its scouting network, TV-based collection, and computer vision technology.

Commercial Conflict Remains Unresolved

This dispute extends beyond just the one supplier. Those holding the rights see the feeds as an asset that has been developed due to investments made in gathering, verifying, and distributing it. The competing service suppliers argue that exclusive control could monopolize access.

The Lords decision settles only the bill’s current wording. It does not answer who should control live event data or when independent collection becomes unlawful. For now, the government appears unwilling to create a new criminal regime through legislation built mainly for hosting major tournaments. Any wider change will require stronger evidence, clearer definitions, and a policy process aimed directly at the sports data market.