The “big six” clubs have dominated the English Premier League for many years, and it’s not a surprise that the league is often considered to be the strongest and the most renowned in the world. Another well-known cup is the Portuguese league cup. There are several betting companies involved in sponsoring the football event. Brand awareness efforts are also being organised by them to reach a larger audience.
In recent years, facilitating sponsorship arrangements with betting gaming companies has proved to be one of the most successful options. There is a plethora of Premier League gambling sponsors to choose from. They are also involved in the sponsorship of football teams.
Gambling is an integral aspect of sports, and football is no different. In the United Kingdom, numerous football teams, including Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Manchester United, have been sponsored by betting companies. Since the 1980s, professional sports in the United States have been heavily influenced by the gambling business.
Nearly half of all professional sports teams in the United Kingdom have a betting sponsorship, making gambling sponsorships the most common. In this article, we’ll provide you with information on which are the most famous betting companies that have sponsored football clubs and what is the relationship between sponsorship and football clubs.
Famous Gambling Companies With Football Club Sponsorship
Gambling businesses are finding a home on the shirts of sports teams these days, if you’re a fan of the Premier League, particularly. This isn’t unexpected, given that sponsorship is a lucrative and mutually beneficial approach for both parties. On entering this agreement, sports teams agree to display the company’s logo on their uniforms for its term.
When it comes to sponsorship negotiations, internet casinos and gambling enterprises are becoming more popular. To start, online betting businesses, especially in Canada, have realised that the most popular sport in the world offers them a worldwide marketing platform to reach millions, if not billions, of customers.
For this reason, the fastest withdrawal online casino Сanada as well sponsors several football clubs in order to allure more customers to bet and get an enjoyable gambling experience with them. Football clubs, on the other hand, get a large sum of money from these gaming businesses, as well as the extra benefit of advertising their teams in the rapidly developing online betting market. In addition, several of these online casinos currently provide sports betting platforms, allowing customers to wager on their favorite teams at any time throughout the season.
These betting companies can reach a global audience of millions of football fans by securing sponsorship arrangements. There is no better way to get the attention of potential customers than to have them witness your brand in action in front of millions of people, particularly when these are the same individuals who will be using your website to make bets.
Surveys have indicated that most sports fans prefer to wager with a firm that supports their favorite team rather than one that doesn’t. In addition, given the millions of supporters these teams often have, the potential market these partnerships may provide is infinite. As a counterbalance, sponsored sports teams get millions of dollars in exchange for spreading exposure to their business. Brand name sponsors have become a familiar sight to football fans now. Coca Cola, Nike, Adidas, and other well-known brands are prominently displayed on shirts and at the stadiums.
As an Austrian-based gaming enterprise, Bwin Interactive Entertainment AG has been in business since 1997. Playtech slots and games from other world-class developers are also available at the firm, in addition to a comprehensive sportsbook. Before Bwin became involved in the sponsorship game, the worldwide gaming industry knew very little about the company. The company, on the other hand, has sponsored a slew of other sports teams since its inception. Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Manchester United, and other teams have had sponsorship relationships with Bwin.
In addition to sponsoring the Portuguese League Cup, which has been renamed the “Bwin Cup,” Bwin also sponsors Italy’s second division, Serie B. In addition, the company’s interest extends beyond football. It works with the International Basketball Association and has long been a sponsor of the European and World Basketball Championships. Racing and poker are two more areas where it has invested.
Bwin was Real Madrid’s principal sponsor from 2007 to 2013 and was on the team’s shirt throughout that time. Bwin assisted the “Royal” squad win two La Liga championships, two Spanish Super Cups, and the Copa del Rey via their sponsorship. Casino players may take advantage of special incentives, such as a visit to the stadium’s Bwin box or even a meet & greet with the squad, as part of Bwin’s sponsorship agreement.
Borussia Dortmund and Valencia CF have both signed sponsorship arrangements with the brand as of this writing. A deal to sponsor the Liga Portugal Championship was just struck. A deal with Real Madrid that saw Bwin capture 20 percent of the Spanish betting market led the business to turn its focus to the Premier League.
For a fee of €2.4 million, Bwin became the official shirt sponsor of Manchester United in the 2012/2013 season. Bwin helped the Red Devils win their 20th Premier League trophy at the height of Sir Alex Ferguson’s tenure during their debut season as a key sponsor.
The greatest football club in Belgium, RSC Anderlecht, announced an agreement with Bwin in 2013. Bwin and RSC Anderlecht have been working together to develop a strong online and social media collaboration. As the freshly restored Olympique de Marseille stadium was being unveiled, Bwin signed a contract with the French team.
FC Bayern Munchen’s sponsor since 2008 has been Bwin. Bwin, FC Bayern’s official gaming partner, displays LED banners and TV-like Cam Carpets during all Bundesliga home games as a sign of support. Customers and business partners may watch players like Frank Ribery, Arjen Robben, and Bastian Schweinsteiger play in an exclusive lounge at the Allianz Arena.
Some may believe that Juventus does not need the sponsorship of an online casino since they are the most successful Italian club and the first European club to win every continental championship. However, despite this, the team decided to have one. Between 2010 and 2012, BetClic UK served as the team’s official sponsor.
Although Bwin is the only online casino that sponsors football teams, it does not have a monopoly on the market. Lottomatica, one of Italy’s most prominent online betting companies, is well-known for its support of Italian football teams as a casino sponsor. Milan, Roma, Lazio, Sampdoria, and Napoli are all owned by Lottomatica or its Better subsidiary.
FC Copenhagen and FC Midtjylland, two of Denmark’s best football teams, are hosted by the online gaming firm Unibet in Denmark. Both of the Danish Superliga clubs have a three-year arrangement with Unibet, and Unibet is their only betting partner.
FC Copenhagen Chief Executive Anders Horsholt said when Unibet originally signed on with both teams in 2012: “When it comes to building relationships with FC Copenhagen’s numerous supporters, Unibet has gone above and beyond just providing financial support. We consider this as a step forward and are certain that Unibet, FC Copenhagen, and the team’s supporters will gain much from this partnership.”
Meanwhile, Ladbrokes, a British sports betting company, sponsors the Scottish football team Celtic. With hundreds of betting companies across the world and an extensive online presence, Bet365 is a leading UK-based online gaming corporation. Bet365, like Bwin, has a long history of working with sports teams to get sponsorship arrangements.
As recently as 2018/2019, Bet365 announced a huge increase in its La Liga sponsorship portfolio by securing deals with ten clubs. RCD Espanyol, Villarreal, Athletic Club, Real Betis, Getafe, SD Huesca, Celta Vigo, Rayo Vallecano, Real Valladolid, and SD Eibar were all represented by this group, which constituted about half of the league.
Currently, four Premier League clubs are sponsored by Bet365 – Leicester, Newcastle United, West Bromwich Albion, and Wolves. It is also a sponsor of Stoke City Football Club, which happens to be the home club of Bet365. And now even Stoke City FC’s Britannia Stadium (previously known as Britannia Stadium), where the team plays its home matches, is known as the Bet365 Stadium.
In terms of worldwide viewership, the English Premier League is the most well-known football league. According to research, the Asian market accounted for 40% of the overall Premier League viewership in England. Bodog, an online betting business, inked a three-year arrangement with Arsenal in 2013 to become the Premier League team’s official Asian Betting Partner because of the sport’s enormous appeal in Asia.
Football teams and online betting companies have a natural affinity for one other. Because of the sport’s wide popularity and worldwide reach, online gambling and betting firms may profit handsomely from promoting their brand via it. As a result, football teams may expect to receive millions of dollars in sponsorship money each year from online betting companies. This means that we can only anticipate more of our favorite gambling establishments participating in football-themed promotions soon.
As the most successful club in the world, Real Madrid is in high demand from online casinos looking to sponsor the team. Furthermore, the Spanish League has made it illegal for gambling-related businesses to sponsor football teams because of the league’s official prohibition on gambling promotion.
Real Madrid, on the other hand, has just signed a new partnership with Fonbet, a Russian internet gambling business. Although Fonbet will not be able to place advertisements on Real Madrid’s jerseys, but it will be able to create unique promotions for its customers, as well as social media content and enticing bonuses, and increased odds.
For over a decade, Manchester City has been the most dominating team in England’s Premier League, notwithstanding their lack of European success. Marathon Bet was aware of this and opted to work with Manchester City two years ago. Marathon Bet CEO Natalia Zavodnik said that they “have been providing fans throughout the globe with the opportunity to profit from our unique freebies, tournaments, and once-in-a-lifetime chances.”
AC Milan, the storied Italian club, has partnered with StarCasino.Sport, which is prominently displayed around the stadium’s perimeter. AC Milan have won the Champions League seven times, making them an ideal choice for a sponsor. The relationship, according to StarCasino.Sport, aims to improve the company’s image by using cutting-edge sports storytelling and engaging social media content.
As a long-time member of the English Premier League, West Ham United isn’t regarded to be among the world’s finest clubs. To attract a gaming site named Betway, they announced in 2015 that they would be working together. The Betway emblem will appear on the front of every senior team playing jersey and training uniform, according to the West Ham United official website.
Betting on sports, the casino, and esports are all part of Betway’s extensive online gambling portfolio, which was launched in 2006. As part of the company’s worldwide expansion plan, sponsorship is a big aspect of the company’s involvement with sports teams, clubs, and events. Over the years, Betway has been actively involved in a variety of advantageous sponsorship agreements with sports clubs.
As previously stated, Betway is West Ham United’s primary sponsor and has been since 2015, when it inked a 20-million-dollar agreement. Also, it sponsors Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur continuously. Betway is active in a wide range of sports outside football. Sponsorships include the Bundesliga, the National Hockey League (NHL), the National Basketball Association (NBA), and various other professional sports leagues and teams.
Back in 2017, Everton agreed to a sponsorship deal with Sport Pesa. Sport Pesa is an African gambling corporation, making it the first company from the hottest continent to sponsor an English Premier League football team.
Betfair was founded in 2000 and is a UK-based online gambling corporation that provides a Sportsbook, online casino, online bingo, and online poker services. An online betting exchange run by it is also the globe’s biggest in the world. When Betfair sponsored Fulham FC in 2002-03, it was the first gambling corporation in the United Kingdom to do so. After this, Betfair sponsored several sports teams, including Arsenal, Barcelona, Manchester United, Southampton, Sunderland, Leicester City, and many more.
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Gambling Sponsorship In Football
Football has evolved into much more than a spectator sport in the previous decade. It now has sway on billions of people throughout the globe. Online casinos and major betting companies alike are interested in this multi-billion-dollar industry because football is one of the largest platforms they can use to promote their businesses. There’s no doubt about it, the best teams need to keep their best players to sustain their dominance.
Some of the best teams in the world are sponsored by gambling businesses by putting their insignia on the jerseys of their players. It’s not uncommon for betting companies to sponsor as many as nine of every twenty of these football teams. Gambling specialists are worried about this issue. A total of 17 clubs have gambling company emblems on their jerseys, which only serves to exacerbate this issue. Having gambling sponsors in football can have certain advantages, though, despite the negative connotations.
For a long time, global corporations have utilised sponsorship of professional football clubs as a marketing tactic to boost their brand’s visibility, revenue, market share, and consumer awareness. Gambling corporations have replaced the alcohol and cigarette industries that formerly dominated this area, raising different moral questions amongst fans. Many states also have concerns with the marketing of alcohol and cigarette companies on football teams, thus these teams are forced to look for sponsorship from betting firms.
An interdependent connection occurs between the club and gaming corporation that benefits both. Essentially, this indicates that one relies on the other. Football teams and betting companies both benefit from this arrangement from a business standpoint. Football clubs need substantial financial support to be successful, and this is especially true when it comes to sponsorships. Because these clubs provide a platform through which they may contact their target demographic, gambling corporations spend millions of dollars on these clubs.
Football has millions of fans all around the globe, making this one of the most effective platforms available. Advertising on the sides of football fields in stadiums may also be sponsored by betting companies, in addition to on the jerseys themselves. As a result of this, the club’s coffers will be filled with millions of dollars and the confidence in these gambling services and its bookmarkers will be raised. The combination of these reasons ensures that the gaming enterprises will continue to exist. A look at online casino reviews reveals that football team sponsorships generate a lot of money.
To stay at the top of the football market, teams need as much financial support as possible. Gaming sponsors contribute a lot of money to football, which helps enhance training facilities, financially support the players and the local community, and construct or keep up contemporary stadiums as the quality of football increases. These organisations often end up running local youth organizations after spending a hefty sum of money. This implies that many football clubs would be constrained by financial limits if they didn’t get sponsorship money from betting companies.
This also includes the drawbacks of sponsoring gaming. Football team sponsors from the gambling business have had a mixed response. The morality of these businesses is in question, as are the hazards that gambling addicts suffer as a result of being bombarded with advertisements for them all the time.
For a variety of reasons, gambling sponsorship in football elicits a mixed response. They create the impression that gambling is common, safe, and linked with watching sports via their sponsorship. When betting companies advertise on football teams, there is the potential for image transfer. Gambling firms may also be linked to the success of successful players, which may lead fans to perceive it as a regular activity they may participate in at any moment.
Some football fans may get hooked on gambling as a result of this football team’s persistent promotion of gambling businesses. Some research has revealed that people who are exposed to gambling businesses on football teams are more likely to acquire a gambling addiction. However, despite the majority of fans claiming that the sponsorship of gambling firms does not impact their choice to gamble or not, certain people have been affected by this backing. This is exacerbated by the fact that gaming firms can be easily accessed online and through mobile applications.
The sponsorship of gambling businesses on the teams and players that kids idolize might encourage them to engage in gambling. As a result of seeing so many advertisements for gambling on the field, youngsters may come away with the sense that gambling is an accepted element of football culture.
With so much money invested in the football business, there has been a blurring of the borders between sports and activities that may be morally questionable. But the football teams and gambling corporations do have a mutually beneficial connection. Clubs and gambling corporations both benefit from this arrangement, which provides much-needed funds to manage the many facets of a team’s operation.
This sponsorship arrangement does not change the fact that there are still concerns that occur as a consequence of gambling problems that may come from fans who follow these teams obsessively and continuously see these advertisements.
Conclusion
Gambling firms are well-established in modern football, producing thousands of pounds in revenue for the clubs that are gambled on by these businesses. This money is crucial to the success of these clubs since it enables them to attract the best players in the world today. Despite this, the fact that sports betting and football go hand in hand is a difficult issue that will be discussed at all levels of the business for some time to come.
It is worth noting that a plethora of football teams are sponsored by gambling businesses. Both clubs and gaming firms benefit from this arrangement. Football clubs may get more revenue to improve their team’s professionalism, and gambling businesses can raise awareness among football fans and viewers.
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