The sports industry is the leader in revenue globally. In 2019, revenue for European soccer surpassed $40 billion. Sponsors are looking to increase their commercial relationships with soccer teams in the hope that COVID-19’s decreasing impact will allow them to continue allowing fans back to the stadium.
One sector of the online gambling market has begun to look at aspects that could justify investing millions to support soccer teams in different leagues. There are many reasons, and they continue to drive many gaming industry giants to the game. Sportsbooks like Betcris recognize the importance of the market and are rapidly responding.
Basic Numbers To Get Started In Soccer
Take the Premier League as an illustration. The structure of how games are organized and televised shows a complete framework that can be used to increase exposure in a diverse market with high fanatics. The league is well covered in countries such as the U.S. and Latin America, focusing on India and China.
Online casino operators have many marketing opportunities, with more than 90 games per season. Each game lasts 90 minutes, so branding can be prominent throughout the match. Even a small amount of television exposure can result in big revenue.
A Globalized Market
Globalized marketing and supply chain production have allowed fans to access games from anywhere in the world. It has also allowed soccer fans to purchase team merchandise and place bets on their top teams whenever it suits them.
These large players in the gambling industry want to capitalize on this fast-paced and high level of exposure to the sports world. Soccer shirts can be shipped all over the globe.
Unlike American sports teams, large companies will allow only one sponsor to represent their brand in their uniforms. This dynamic has been commercialized by large-scale online casinos and is now featured on the back of many teams’ main jerseys.
Casinos and betting sites sponsored 26 of the 44 Premier League clubs as of 2019. This makes up almost 60% of league squads. These multi-million-dollar contracts also generate the same buzz as smaller teams worldwide promoting their image.
Soccer Betting Is Gaining Popularity
Spain’s gambling has seen a 28% increase in younger players over the past two years. Online casino giants have attracted younger players looking to get more involved in the game through their obvious exposure.
Spain is another country in which 15 of its 20 league teams are tied to sponsorship deals with an online casino or betting website. Markets are now welcoming gambling and betting companies to exploit the sport’s image as countries like the U.S. open the doors to online gambling.
The Importance of Soccer for Sportsbooks
Since sports and sports betting are two of the most successful sectors in the world, it is natural that they mix in some way. Sponsorship is presented as one of the most convenient ways for these two industries to continue growing.
For sportsbooks, the benefits are that the platforms gain more visibility and reach a new audience. On the other hand, if the casino offers sports betting, the number of people who participate in this digital leisure alternative increases.
As for soccer, the benefits are even greater. First of all, the teams that have the sponsorship of an online casino acquire more capital. This allows them to invest in all those elements that improve their level. Clubs usually make investments in their stadiums and the signing of new players.
In this sense, the Premier League offers one of the most representative examples of how sponsorship increased the level of the league. The teams that obtained investments from the platforms dedicated to gambling signed world-renowned athletes.
This increased the squad’s performance and consequently improved the tournament’s level. Thanks to these investments, the Premier League increased its recognition to position itself as one of the most dominant in the world.
Sponsorships create a mutually beneficial relationship between soccer and online sportsbooks. As for the platforms, these acquire greater recognition and reach a new audience, especially if they include a section to place sports bets.
For its part, soccer is also enriched. In the first place, the clubs have more capital to invest. The signing of top-class athletes increases the league level in which they participate and, therefore, it acquires greater notoriety. The profits in both sectors contribute to their growth and show that these industries know how to use their continued popularity to their advantage.
An Essential Synergy
The gaming industry has always been linked to the world of sports. Sports betting is the oldest game of chance modality of which there is a historical reference, is known for more than 2,000 years thanks to the Greek civilization, responsible for starting to bet on your favorite sports disciplines.
A little later, the Romans made gambling one of their most common customs, making the practice evolve into a business model that revolved around Roman circuses, using gladiators as protagonists. Over the centuries, the activity has evolved, maintaining its essence until it reaches today’s sports betting.
Thanks to the irruption of the internet, the exponential growth of the sector, and the ease with which we can all participate have made the activity increasingly boost the growth of the sports industry, even allowing new disciplines such as eSports to gain prominence.
Challenges Lay Ahead
The government of England is now allowing televised game spaces to be broadcast. Soon, however, all gambling-related commercial areas will be prohibited during Premier League soccer matches. The government of Spain is expected to regulate how sponsorship deals between gaming companies and teams are done.
This is a deliberate attempt to clarify the idea that sports should be free from the ties of online gambling and online casino giants. Or whether this is a challenge to the teams and the online betting providers seeking larger, more powerful tax-generated interest will test each side.
Online casinos and betting companies will be the main source of revenue for teams. This means that they need to modify their sponsorship sources quickly. The challenge for big players in the gambling industry will be to sell their products without affecting fans or crowds that might consider them malicious, and not just because they have commercial interests.