It’s certainly not surprising to see football club shirts or stadium advertising boards emblazoned with sports betting and casino brands, especially in the Premier League.
But what are the current largest gambling sponsorships in football?
Liverpool
Ladbrokes
Ladbrokes isn’t just one of the country’s best betting firms, it’s also considered one of the top online casinos in the UK. Liverpool recently unveiled a new multi-year partnership with the esteemed gambling brand in a deal that will offer fans various perks, including reward points and free entertainment opportunities.
Liverpool’s chief commercial officer, Ben Latty, also spoke about Ladbrokes’ commitment to the Merseyside community,
“This new partnership also enables Ladbrokes to continue driving forward with its local community work, using football to increase physical and mental wellbeing, particularly in areas of high social deprivation.”
So not only is the new Liverpool partnership with Ladbrokes lucrative for the club, but it will also be a welcome boon for the local community.
Manchester City
LeoVegas
LeoVegas has built a strong relationship with Manchester City over the past few years, helping the club in all sorts of aspects. The official betting partner regularly has promotions for specific City games, and it also coordinates with the marketing teams to increase global exposure for both brands.
Their presence during Manchester City’s treble-winning season was particularly welcome.
West Ham
Betway
Few gambling brands have become so closely aligned with a football club as Betway and West Ham. The relationship turned a little sour due to the fallout from Lucas Paqueta’s betting allegations, but things seem to have turned a corner.
Betway is still emblazoned on the Hammers’ jerseys, so one of the Premier League’s most enduring relationships will live on.
Newcastle
Fun88
Although Fun88 were dropped as the principal shirt sponsor for Newcastle in the summer of 2023, the Chinese betting brand still has a strong association with the Toon Army.
In fact, Fun88 has been instrumental in bringing the legendary UK club to an Asian audience, with shirt sales continuously increasing across the region.
Chelsea
Parimatch
Chelsea’s long-running relationship with Parimatch started in August 2021 and is one of the few areas that hasn’t changed at the London club since Todd Boehly took over following Roman Abramovich’s decision to sell.
The betting brand is renowned for offering Chelsea-specific promos, solidifying the relationship between club, brand, and supporters.
Southampton
Sportsbet.io
Southampton turned heads after securing Sportsbet.io as their main shirt sponsor back in 2021 on a record-breaking three-year deal.
Sportsbet.io is notable for offering cryptocurrency as a banking method, something not many other brands can offer. Moreover, Southampton reportedly have the option of claiming certain bonuses in Bitcoin – a unique proposition compared to most other gambling sponsorship deals.
Stoke City
bet365
It’s probably no surprise Stoke City has such a strong relationship with bet365 seeing as the club is owned by the Coates family.
Not only is bet365 the main shirt sponsor but the Staffordshire club’s stadium is also named after bet365 – relationships don’t get much closer than that!
Crystal Palace
Net88
Crystal Palace is the latest Premier League club to follow the trend of acquiring sponsorship from an Asian betting firm, with Net88.
Brand-new for the 2024/2025 season, the partnership sees the South London club benefit from a multi-million sponsorship deal and valuable exposure to Asian markets.
Manchester United
Betfred
Manchester United are one of the most popular clubs in the world, especially going by commercial value.
It’s no surprise that the Red Devils have cultivated a strong relationship with Betfred, one of the oldest bookmakers still operating today.
Aston Villa
Betano
Aston Villa unveiled a new sponsorship with Betano at the start of the 2024/2025 season, but many fans still won’t want to forget the fruitful partnership with Unibet.
It’s not the only sporting sponsor relationship, with Unibet also benefiting from a deal with F1. For example, reserve your seats at the Bahrain Grand Prix, and you might just see the popular bookmaker on the advertising stands.
