Football and sponsorships go hand-in-hand, although it has changed dramatically over the last few years.
Back in the day, it was electronics companies like Sharp, JVC and Candy were commonly found on the jerseys of the biggest football teams.
After that, airlines and breweries took over and even insurance companies jumped on the bandwagon and started backing major clubs.
These days, however, it is online betting companies that are dominating the sponsorship game. This is an incredible development as, in 2005, the only team sponsored by a gambling company was Middlesbrough, who was sponsored by 888.com. Today, nine major football teams are sponsored by gambling companies.
Here we cover some of the biggest gambling companies sponsoring football teams.
M88
Bournemouth partnered with M88, a company that hadn’t established its brand in the UK that point. M88 is owned by Mansion and is a brand that dubbed itself as the place ‘Where Asia Plays’. This move exposed the brand to a whole new audience of Asian gamblers, which are among the biggest in the world. From there, the team has managed to expose itself to this huge, ever growing market.
Sport Pesa
Already an established brand, Sport Pesa joined forces with Everton to boost its profile among the Premier League set. By sponsoring Everton, Sport Pesa made history by becoming the first Kenyan company to sponsor an English football team. That said, the company does have shareholders in the USA, Bulgaria and Italy. Sport Pesa has steadily been growing in the international market and runs a variety of sports leagues in Kenya.
ManBetX
A relatively unknown brand, ManBetX became the sponsor to Crystal Palace. While this was a big move, it was heavily criticized as the betting company pumped major funds into the team and also had ties with Spanish side Real Madrid. The company is also owned by Mansion, is based in the UK and features a license from Malta.
Dafabet
Dafabet is the official sponsor for Fulham. Many view this as a poor footballing decision, but thanks to this deal, Dafabet was certainly put on the map in an new and exciting market. Being a Phillipines brand, Dafabet was virtually unknown in the UK market but has since gained its profile after joining forces with Fulham.
What Does These Sponsorships Mean for Online Gambling?
Many of these gambling brands are newcomers to the scene, therefore sponsoring a big Premiership team will certainly boost its appeal and profile in the UK and across the world. At the same time, sponsoring a team means more bettors becoming interested in trying their luck at a new site.
That said, while the online betting scene is alight with sponsorships, online casinos have yet to become a part of this trend. Even bigger brands haven’t yet tapped into this lucrative market, but this has the potential to change in the future. Big brands like https://www.novicasino.com/ will surely see the potential of partnering with major football teams, in terms of both revenue and exposure. As society becomes more adept to gambling on the internet, the links between casinos and football will only become stronger.
