Sports and online casinos, including sponsorships and bans
Soccer teams that have agreed to put the online casino logo on their jerseys are now very numerous. Let's say that for many years, gambling was considered a kind of taboo topic by society, and only with the progressive legalization of online gambling did advertising campaigns related to this topic begin to spread. This phenomenon has affected all major European leagues, especially the Premier League (England's top division and probably the most popular league in the world), the Spanish league, the German Bundesliga and the French league (better known as Ligue 1.) ) And we have it too (but only until 2018).
Decree on dignity: Italy bans casino advertising
Unlike what happens in the rest of Europe, Italy no longer has a combination of soccer (and sports in general) and casino sponsorship. To correct this status quo, Italian companies have recently found some tricks that have allowed them to limit the damage, circumventing bans but complying with laws. The most original solution is represented by the introduction of sports news sites that clearly reflect the name of the online casino. This is the case, for example, with miglioricasinononaams Sport, a news portal about soccer and other sports that has nothing to do with gambling, although in fact its name reminds one of the main Italian online casinos: https://miglioricasinononaams.com/casino-con-deposito-1-euro/. In other cases the most popular solution is sponsorship abroad: in practice Italian teams combine their brand with the casino brand only in foreign markets, such as Asia, which is always very prosperous.
Soccer and gambling: business is business
Obviously, the aspect that links gambling operators with sports clubs is primarily the "money base." Currently, in fact, there are very few realities that can guarantee visibility at the highest level the way soccer teams do. Suffice it to say that millions of fans now follow every match, thanks to television and online broadcasts, and audiences expand in the case of cartel matches in tournaments such as the Champions League... Doing a quick calculation, taking into account not only the logos displayed on the jerseys, but also the billboards on the fields, commercial breaks and screen overlays, the same user may view the brand several dozen times. If you multiply that by the number of spectators present at the stadium (often 50,000 to 80,000 per game) and the number of spectators in the distance, you get an exorbitant number and the result is tremendous visibility. Another aspect that should not be underestimated concerns the sale of official products: the opportunity to place your brand on the soccer team's shirts, shorts, cups, and goggles can be another very important promotional tool.
On the other hand, the most famous teams have now become real multinational corporations, and therefore any form of entry is always a panacea, especially considering the constant increase of costs in the transfer market and of players' salaries, which are now constantly rising since the 90's. If decades ago companies could afford to choose their partners carefully, based not only on economic considerations, but also on corporate image and values, the deterioration of accounts after the forced shutdown caused by the pandemic
Just during the darkest months of the pandemic emergency, when billions of people were forced to stay home after the shutdown, online casinos have shown revenue growth and, therefore, can now offer companies the classic "offer that cannot be refused. " for their own economic benefit. In addition, to complete the picture of the situation, it should also be taken into account that there is a very high proportion of betting enthusiasts among sportsmen, so it is extremely fertile ground with a high strategic value for the operators of the sector.
Gambling and English soccer
A few numbers might help to better understand the magnitude of the phenomenon. In the 2021-22 season, only one team in the Premier League had no gambling sponsorship, as many as nine of them had the casino logo on the front of their jersey, and even Leicester boasted a record with five partners, including siti di scommesse sportivi non AAMS, present more than them. connected with three and five teams respectively. The richest was the sponsorship between Betway and West Ham, which was worth £10 million for the season. Globally, in the season leading up to the pandemic, Major League Soccer teams in England accumulated nearly £70 million in partnerships with casinos, or about 20 percent of their total sponsorship. One of the longest-running business relationships is between Tottenham Hotspur and William Hill, which has been ongoing since 2016.
Situation in Spain.
Even La Liga teams consider gambling advertising an important source of funding. The agreement that caused the biggest sensation was certainly the one signed between Bwin and Real Madrid, which brought Casa Blanca's coffers 20 million a year between 2007 and 2013. To understand how important this item is in the Spanish company's financial statements, it is enough to consider that as many as 17 of the 20 La Liga clubs have commercial relationships with casinos and bookmakers. However, starting with the 2019 season, the Iberian legislature has imposed restrictions related to the placement of brands on jerseys and advertising signs. It is estimated that these restrictions could result in a loss of revenue for teams estimated at about 80 million euros per year.
