Football and Bookmakers: How Betting Became Part of the Game
Bookmakers in European Football: Scale of Cooperation
According to a study by Investigate Europe, two-thirds of clubs in Europe’s top leagues and the UK have sponsorship agreements with betting companies despite tighter regulations. In the 2024/25 season, 296 out of 442 teams signed partnership contracts.
Key Facts:
- 105 bookmakers (Unibet, Betano, Bwin, Betway) directly sponsor clubs.
- 14 out of 31 leagues have a title partner among betting operators.
- Every third club features a bookmaker’s logo on their match kit.
- 11 Premier League clubs sold shirt sponsorships to bookmakers for $135 million.
Circumventing Bans and Gray Schemes
Despite existing restrictions, clubs find ways to collaborate with bookmakers:
- Use of sub-brands: In Belgium and Italy, bookmakers disguise ads as news or entertainment brands.
- White-label schemes: Companies without local licenses operate through third parties.
- Unlicensed operators: AC Milan (Italy) and Nõmme Kalju (Estonia) cooperate with bookmakers that lack licenses in their countries.
Financial Dependence of Clubs on Bookmakers
The betting industry has invested hundreds of millions of euros in club sponsorships. For many teams, it is a key source of revenue:
- In Portugal, Germany, and Greece, nearly all top clubs work with bookmakers.
- In Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria, most teams feature betting brand logos on their kits.
- In the Netherlands, bookmaker partnerships were allowed in 2021, but a ban will take effect in 2025.
Social Consequences
Betting advertisements contribute to a rise in the number of gamblers and gambling addicts. Research shows:
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Percentage of population | In England, about 20% of the population experiences gambling-related problems. |
| Ad frequency | On the opening day of the 2024 season, 30,000 betting ads were broadcast. |
| Example of refusal | In Germany, football club St. Pauli rejected bookmaker sponsorship despite losing hundreds of thousands of euros. |
The Future of Betting in Football
In the 2026/27 season, the Premier League will ban bookmaker logos on jerseys. However, the industry is seeking new promotional formats: logos now appear on shorts, sleeves, and training gear. The issue of a complete ban on bookmaker sponsorship contracts remains under discussion in various countries.
Football remains dependent on betting money, but pressure from society and regulators is increasing. The example of tobacco advertising shows that change is possible, though it may take years to implement.