Sponsoring well known sporting institutions is a textbook brand awareness strategy for sports betting and online casino operators looking to attract new customers.
1xBet, a global sports betting operator with more than 35 local licences, is one such company that has utilised partnerships with some of the world’s most recognisable sporting organisations to increase its global brand visibility.
The operator is building a sponsorship portfolio that reflects the scale and diversity of global sport. From clubs such as FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain to competitions including LaLiga and Serie A, the focus has been on partnerships with strong sporting relevance and fan connection. However, working with such high-profile brands and their loyal and often impressionable fanbases brings with it an increased level of responsibility.
Why do operators sponsor major sporting brands?
Chris Bird, a media professional recently appointed as a consultant at 1xBet, says companies must approach these partnerships as reputation opportunities as much as commercial ones.
“You can’t enter into a sponsorship like this thinking purely about the commercial upside,” Bird said.
“These partnerships come with huge visibility and influence, so they also bring a responsibility to protect the reputation of the sport, the sponsor and the fans.
“Everything you do has to be built around doing the right thing, in the right way, communicating clearly, and demonstrating that sports sponsorship can be conducted with real integrity.”
Bird has experience on both sides of the sponsorship relationship. As well as advising operators such as 1xBet and Betfred, he previously served as Chief Operating Officer at Manchester City FC between 1999 and 2003.
Since then, the relationship between professional sport and the gambling sector has frequently been in the spotlight often accompanied by criticism from campaign groups who argue that betting companies have become too dominant within sport.
Yet Bird notes that the convergence between sport, entertainment and betting reflects genuine demand from fans.
“There’s no doubt that over the last two decades sport, entertainment and betting have become more closely connected,” he explained.
“But the reason for that is quite simple: a proportion of sports fans enjoy betting on the outcome of matches.
“When you spend time on the terraces, as I did during my years supporting and working at Manchester City and in football more broadly, you realise that for many supporters it’s simply part of the match day experience.
“That convergence has happened because the communities themselves have converged. Fans want excitement and engagement around the game, and betting companies have increasingly delivered that in ways that are more interactive and entertaining.”
What does responsible gambling sponsorship look like?
Bird is working closely with 1xBet to help guide the company on responsible gambling practices and how those principles should shape its sponsorship activity.
His role, he explained, centres around maintaining integrity within sports partnerships.
“My work with them is really about ensuring that integrity sits at the heart of any sports sponsorship,” he said.
“It’s about asking the right questions, Is this partnership appropriate? Are the messages responsible? Are we protecting the audience as well as promoting the brand?”
Bird’s perspective is also shaped by his work as CEO of the Raheem Sterling Foundation, where he has supported initiatives that engage with individuals and families affected by addiction.
“That experience gives you a very real understanding of what happens when things go wrong. It reinforces the need to identify potential problems early and, more importantly, to focus on prevention rather than cure.”
Because of that background, Bird believes integrity must underpin any project he becomes involved in.
“For me, any partnership in this space has to be rooted in integrity and basic decency,” he added. What I’ve seen from 1xBet is a company that takes the issue of player protection seriously and is thoughtful about how those principles are built into its marketing.”
Education, he argues, is central to that approach.
“Their thinking recognises that education has to sit right at the top of the agenda,” he said.
“If you imagine sponsorship as a pyramid, the commercial element might sit at the top, but the foundation has to be integrity and safeguarding.
“As you move up that pyramid, everything is connected. You simply cannot build a strong commercial structure without strong integrity underneath it.”
What is the future of gambling sponsorship in sport?
It is well documented that the Premier League is introducing a voluntary ban on front of shirt gambling sponsorship from the start of next season.
Many expect those partnerships to shift toward alternatives such as perimeter advertising or training kit sponsorships, although these deals are unlikely to match the financial value of shirt-front partnerships.
While the change may impact Premier League clubs, Bird believes the consequences could be more significant further down the football pyramid.
“For clubs lower down the leagues from the Championship through to non-league the situation becomes much more complicated,” he said.
“If a club like Accrington Stanley or Hyde United receives a sponsorship offer from a betting company and that income allows them to pay staff, support players, improve facilities and invest in grassroots football, that funding can genuinely help secure the club’s future.
“The question then become, should they automatically have to turn that opportunity down?”
Bird believes that outright bans may not necessarily provide the most effective route to protecting fans.
“There is still a place in sport for reputable betting companies that operate responsibly and with integrity,” he concluded.
“But those companies must demonstrate that they are serious about education, player protection and duty of care. If those principles are clearly embedded, then betting partnerships can still exist in sport in a way that is both responsible and sustainable.”