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It is only logical to see collaboration among the two of the most lucrative industries on the planet – the casino industry and the sports industry. So, if you are wondering why some sports clubs or athletes wear equipment with casino logos, the answer is simple – due to sponsorship.
Even if the UK gambling ad ban had a great influence on this, the rest of the world still thinks that this type of sponsorship is acceptable. However, this hasn’t had much influence on making gambling less common in the world of elite sports. Still, many sports such as cricket, football, and martial arts are seeing an increase in such sponsorships.
And if you are wondering how do online casinos manage to become big names in sports sponsorships, keep on reading.
Sports Clubs and Athletes Need the Sponsorships
Even if the sports industry is one of the wealthiest industries, the expanses can be quite high. Investing in jerseys, equipment, event organization, trips and so much more can be quite pricey. This is why most clubs and athletes rely on good deals and sponsorships. As a matter of fact, sponsorships are crucial for the existence of many sports such as snooker and darts.
Paying for all of this would be simply impossible for clubs, which is why the trend of sponsorships was born. Even if there are sponsors from various industries, some of the best sports sponsorships deals are deals with casinos. The sponsored athlete or club will benefit from such a deal through a huge funds boost.
Also, such sponsorships can improve the gaming standards, and help the sportsman perform better. By investing in training, equipment and playing tactics the standard of training will certainly grow.
What’s In it for Online Casinos?
It is pretty simple – sponsorships are a perfect marketing method for casino companies. Since it involves clubs, athletes and sports events it is as important for casinos as it is for the sports industry. The two parties can create a commercial relationship which is ultimately beneficial for both sides.
The audience following sports events is a potentially huge member base casinos can benefit from. For example in Canada, someone, who is looking for Canadian online casino for real money can opt for a certain brand they notice while watching a sports event. And this is precisely how they can make such deals a successful marketing tool. As a matter of fact, the majority of online casino platforms nowadays have such sponsorship deals. This way, the brand’s name will be advertised via display ads, sports equipment or anything else for that matter. And what does it do? It presents that casino brand as trustworthy to a huge number of sports enthusiasts.
The Most Sponsored Sport
Out of all sports out there, the most casino sponsored sport is football. And what are the reasons behind this? Well, this sport is one of the most attended sports with the biggest audience. Also, the mindset of football enthusiasts is similar to that of a casino fan, thus, they are the target audience of casino companies. A great number of them will opt for signing up at a casino advertised during a game, while there is a number of them that might opt for the no account casino in Netherlands. The football-casino sponsorship has always been dominant since this sport has the best platform for such marketing.
For example, the Premier League has tons of gambling sponsorships and almost half of the teams of this league has one. In addition, casino companies are trying to fish for the best deal without paying ridiculous prices. Thus, the ones who benefit from such deals the most are casinos and clubs in lower tiers.
Take a look at the list of gambling sponsorships in the Premier League:
- West Ham United sponsored by Betway
- Bournemouth sponsored by Mansion Group
- Stoke City FC sponsored by Bet365
- West Bromwich sponsored by UK-K8.com
- Swansea sponsored by BETEAST
- Burnley FC sposnosred by Dafabet
- Newcastle United FC sponsored by FUN88
Criticism of Casino Sponsorships
Even if sponsorships between sports clubs and online casinos are popular, it is frowned upon in certain parts of the world. The UK government was among the first to show dissatisfaction with the increased casino-sport sponsorships. Apparently, according to the UK government, it promotes the normalization of gambling to children. In 2019, 16 out of the 24 second-tier Championship teams as well as half of the teams from the English Premier League had betting sponsorships, and some believe that this might lead to troublesome outcomes.
According to the UK government, banning such sponsorships or at least public promoting and ads would protect vulnerable groups. Some of the targeted vulnerable groups are gambling addicts, underage gamblers and children in general. Watching or attending matches where casino sponsorships are allowed would supposedly make these groups exposed.
Are There Any Other Industries Sponsoring Sports?
There are many other industries sponsoring sports, and the clubs usually have multiple sponsors. The main reason for that is that they cannot count on a single income source. Some of the most common injuries to sponsor sports are the garment industry, airline companies, the automotive industry and many more.
