Betting brands have a huge economic impact on football clubs and it all started in the 1960s, when so many match broadcasts on TV took the popularity of football to an all-time high. Now you see betting brands appearing on jerseys not only in Europe, but also in Asia and Africa, as the number of football viewers explodes due to the availability of the content on smartphones and cheap tablets. Betting companies work there as regional partners, giving local and international football clubs better purchasing power and increasing fan engagement during the off-season.
Many say that football and sports betting are a perfect fit because they share the same audience. Both industries focus on the same demographics: man between 18 and 45 years old who is somewhat tech-savvy and cannot go away without watching sports. Football fans are usually very connected to their favorite teams. Most fans start building bonds with teams and players from childhood. That’s why, when fans see a betting brand on shirts and stadiums, they start to trust it. And from the very first moment they want to predict the score and place a bet – they know where to go and which brand to look for on the Internet.
But this requires a smart marketing strategy from the sports betting brands, especially when they want to operate in different markets. For example, an international brand running a specific promotion in Spain will need to adapt and localize the marketing campaign for Nigeria and Vietnam, even if they are targeting the same demographic. This is exactly what 777 nice does this in Brazil and other parts of the world because market specifications determine how your brand ads should look and how your marketing messages should sound.
The controversies
Despite football clubs and sports betting brands making profits from these partnerships, not everyone is happy with betting brands sitting right next to football fans, especially the younger crowd. It leads to a lot of criticism, not only from governments, but also from families who fear that gambling culture can normalize gambling for young people. In fact, some studies show that children often recognize gambling brands before they can name some club players. This is definitely a very disturbing trend, isn’t it? That’s why many experts say football clubs should cutting their ties with betting and gambling brands.
The Premier League took its first step back in 2023 when it banned betting companies from appearing on the front of shirts. This restriction will take place from the 2026-27 season, but this will make a difference even in 2025 as fewer gambling brands are exposed to children and young adults who are not yet familiar with the disadvantages of gambling. Spain and Italy want their clubs to find sponsors other than iGaming and gambling companies, because from their perspective this damages the reputation of football. Other European countries are taking smaller steps, but this all reflects the growing trend in which society wants football to no longer place so much emphasis on betting.
Is responsible gambling a solution?
Many sports betting brands are aware of this trend. They are not happy about being excluded from major sporting competitions and having sponsorship deals cancelled. That’s why they’re trying to change their marketing message from something like “Bet on your favorite teams” to “Responsible betting is okay.” Now you can see a range of campaigns, such as ‘When The Fun Stops, Stop’ and ‘Play Responsibly’, watching from banners in stadiums and broadcasts. But does it exactly help reduce the prominence of sports betting or is it just a clever ploy by betting brands to even stay visible and outsmart restrictions and restrictions?
There is no clear answer to that, but launching initiatives to spread awareness and principles of responsible gaming is much better than doing nothing and selling every inch of advertising space to sports betting brands in the hope that they will “do something themselves”.
Everything must be in balance, sports betting advertisements are no exception. A company that is banned in a certain jurisdiction can still promote itself internationally through offshore licensing and online campaigns. If federations cannot limit sponsorship deals and can only take symbolic steps because of the flow of money that brands use to keep things going, governments must take action. Yes, there’s only so much governments can do to influence the international landscape, but adjusting the rules within your jurisdiction is key. Crypto-based gambling platforms are another big problem here, as they make it difficult to track transactions and restrict citizens’ access to offshore sites: any cheap VPN and BTC wallet lets anyone, even the most restricted jurisdiction, gamble with ease.
What is the future for the collaboration between sports and gambling brands
When there are huge budgets for sponsorship deals, there will always be clubs who want to use this money to fund their youth academies or pay for transfers. One thing we know for sure is that gambling brands will do their best to outsmart the restriction and introduce new creative ways to communicate with the public without provoking any response from government authorities.
The relationship between football and sports betting is complex but inextricably linked. We will definitely see more branded prediction games and streamers sponsored by major iGaming and gambling brands in the future. The next decade will likely see more sophistication in terms of advertising approaches and keeping up to date with all the sporting events on which bets can be placed. If you look at Polymarket and how they literally try to turn everything into a gambleable thing, you will see where the industry is going and how it interacts with the general public.
Another bad point is the rising costs for football clubs to stay afloat. Even regular transfers now cost millions and without sponsorship money some clubs will not be able to make ends meet.
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