Top Football Clubs with Casino Sponsors

My Football Facts ⇒ Articles

By Martin Graham | 22nd July 2022

What is sports sponsorship?

Sponsorship in football, and other sports, is when a company donates money to a team to assist them in the purchase of items such as uniforms, training facilities, and transportation to and from games.

The sponsor will, as a result, get a lot of exposure in return for their investment, with the brand and logo on the team’s uniform, around their stadium, as well as mentions on the club’s digital channels and social media. This affiliation is a fantastic way for companies to display to the public a corporate social responsibility. Moreover, it helps enhance their reputation and provides an alternative approach to advertising.

Why is sponsorship in football important?

For football teams, sponsorship is often crucial as it provides financing for essentials and keeps the team in operation. On a more superficial level, sponsorship from a respected company also serves as proof that the club is professional and helps in turn promote the team to a wider public.

Furthermore, having this kind of support reduces financial burdens, hence allowing team management more time to concentrate on performance, training, and matches.

Football sponsorships benefit both parties; a brand receives excellent exposure, and a football team receives funding so it can just focus on the game.

Top 5 football clubs with casino sponsors

West Ham United (Betway, £10 million per year)

Betway, a sports betting company, has been West Ham United’s main sponsor since 2015. They signed a six-year deal with Betway in 2019, worth £60 million (roughly $12.7million per year). Other than being a great sponsor for West Ham United they also add value for players looking for best casino bonuses.

Newcastle United (FUN88, £6.5 million per year)

The Chinese betting company Fun88 and Newcastle made their sponsorship agreement public in the summer of 2017. The initial contract was for £6.5 million a year. The Magpies are now among the top 10 football teams in England with a number of other sponsorship deals thanks to the Fun88 contract.

Fulham (DAFABET, £3 million per year)

Fulham’s return to the Premier League in 2018 gave them an excellent opportunity to grow their sponsorship revenue, in addition to a significant gain in TV revenue. The Asian bookmaker Dafabet seized the opportunity and signed a two-year shirt sponsorship agreement with them. As a result Fulham put their logo on both men’s and women’s teams’ shirts.

Everton (Sportpesa, £10 million per year)

In 2017, Everton and the African gaming company SportPesa partnered up and agreed on a front-of-shirt sponsorship contract for five years. The Liverpool Echo estimates that the arrangement is worth up to £10 million a year, despite having never been made public.

Crystal Palace (ManBetX, £6.5 million per year)

The most striking branding on the Crystal Palace FC jerseys is that of the Malta-based company ManBetX. The record breaking deal for the club was made in 2017. ManBetX was promoted in the UK, and internationally, as the main sponsor for the team across all its online and offline media channels.

Conclusion

Football and big brand sponsorship have been intertwined for many years, with shirt sponsorship becoming standard practice for the majority of clubs since the 1980s. In 2017 eight out of 20 Premier League clubs had a gambling company on the front of their shirts. As part of their marketing strategies, casinos also partner with football teams to offer best casino bonuses, which sports fans can utilize for free betting. This kind of sponsorship is a huge industry. Some clubs earn millions of pounds each season.

It’s interesting to note that foreign casino and betting companies, rather than well-known UK bookmakers like Betway and Sportpesa are the primary sponsors of English football teams. These businesses are either trying to establish a presence in the English market or are using the sport’s massive international audience to successfully advertise in their home markets.