Newcastle United has removed online betting firm FUN88 from the club’s youth team shirt. The sponsor’s logo was deemed by the club as a potential breach of FA regulations and comes after growing pressure on the UK government to look harder at the gambling advertising from betting companies in broadcast media and club sponsorships.

A Sunday Times investigation recently unveiled how young players were being used to advertise betting brands who collectively sponsor premier League clubs by more than £47 million.

FUN88 are at the start of a three-year deal with Newcastle, the club’s largest ever sponsorship reckoned to be worth more than £24 million. The removal of the company logo from the U18 team’s shirts is unlikely to affect that deal.

Newcastle also removed pictures of their U18 team from their website saying that they would retake team photos without the FUN88 logo.

Last November a government review of the on-line betting and gaming industry stayed clear of imposing new regulation on advertising and sponsorship revenues for football.