Casinos & Football

James Mayhew

2nd, March 2021

The Rise of Casinos as Sponsors of Football

Football is arguably the most loved sport in the entire universe. You can tell this by the millions that tune in from all over the world to watch live matches. As a result, it provides businesses with massive marketing potential. An online casino like Spin Casino enjoys an enormous following because it offers unmatched casino services to its members. However, it would boost its visibility by making a sponsorship deal with a football club from a popular league. 

According to industry commentators, many people were skeptical about gambling sponsorships in sport. The main reason for their objection to this kind of deal was that they believed it encouraged harmful behavior, more like cigarette branding. Later in 2005, the gambling act was amended, paving the way for online operators to advertise their products. 

At the moment, around 10 English Premier League Clubs wear gambling shirts, marketing several online casinos. In Australia, you will come across software developers and bookmakers sponsoring entire televised leagues. Other regions worldwide still have restrictions on this kind of marketing. 

The entry of new sponsorships for top football leagues provides an opportunity for others to be noticed. Since the online casino space is very competitive, this kind of brand exposure could make or break a company. 

What’s In It for Football Clubs?

Football clubs have multiple responsibilities that require several revenue streams. Even though gambling sites don’t offer as much value as other big sponsorships, online casinos still offer clubs millions to market their platform. The investments go towards supporting youth teams, paying player salaries, and taking care of other club initiatives. 

Clubs also have to maintain their stadiums, support staff, and training facilities. It is evident that clubs with more resources enjoy more success on and off the pitch than others. Resources come in handy when a club wants to assemble a squad that can compete for honors. 

Teams like Chelsea and Manchester City are excellent examples. They became Premier League contenders once they were taken over by billionaires who made massive investments in revamping the team squads. 

In the Championship, shirt sponsorship deals are not providing as much money as possible. Teams have to consider their status among fans and other investors. Suppose a team makes a deal with a controversial gambling brand that could damage the club’s image immeasurably. That could have a domino effect as fans and players could jump ship to avoid associating themselves with a team having a bad name. 

How Do Casinos Benefit?

Gambling sponsorships allow online casinos to get closer to their clients. The deals have also made gambling to be more acceptable, leading to legalization in various jurisdictions.  Online casinos have made it easy for players to access their favorite slots games or roulette. The success of the current online casinos has given rise to more online casinos making the industry very competitive. Therefore, there is an increased demand for these gambling companies to raise the awareness of their brands. Making a sponsorship deal with a football club helps online casinos to do that. 

One of the most significant benefits for a gambling company to sponsor football is it creates a lot of legitimacy. There are many shoddy online casinos, and having a brand plastered on your favorite team’s jersey helps to give the company credibility. 

Others have their name and slogans written on banners in the clubs’ stadiums. This form of advertising also gets a lot of attention. 

Bottom Line

Although many people accept gambling sponsorship deals with football clubs, others are still unconvinced about the type of message it sends to the fans. Nevertheless, football teams and gambling companies continue to enjoy the benefits for now. 

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