The casino industry continues to grow quickly, with more people than ever playing games and bingo online, but did you know it’s having a positive impact on the Premier League?
Casino brands getting involved in Premier League sponsorship isn’t new. The presence of casino companies in one of the world’s biggest sports corporations began way back in the 2000s. But why is casino involvement so important to the Premier League, and how does it benefit it?
A brief history of casinos and the Premier League
It was back during the 2002-03 season that the first gambling brand sponsored a Premier League team with a partnership with Fulham. Over a decade later, in 2016, when the league dropped its official title sponsor, online gambling companies rushed to fill the void.
And by the mid-2020s, nearly 60 per cent of the top two-tier English clubs had gambling sponsors.
But how do casino sponsors benefit the Premier League?
There are several key reasons why the Premier League has invited casino sponsorship and reaped the benefits. We’ve listed them below:
Boost the club’s finances
One of the biggest benefits of casino sponsorship in the Premier League is its positive impact on their finances. For many clubs in the Premier League, casino sponsorship provides a financial engine and helps them reduce dependency on more traditional income streams like TV rights and ticket sales.
A partnership with a casino brand offers a much more diversified and stable income source, bringing in premium fees that are often much higher than typical commercial deals. And ultimately helping them keep going, even if there are dips in other revenue streams.
Support player transfers
In the Premier League, it’s all about the talent you have in your squad. The income that comes from partnering with casino brands helps clubs deal with the demands of consistent investment to retain and attract top talent. Sponsorship money can be used to help fund transfers (which can be worth tens of millions of pounds), as well as enabling clubs to maintain a team that’s capable and winning.
The best players are going to cost a club, and sponsorship with casino brands helps them secure them without breaking the bank (at least too much)!
Elevates global branding
In a digital world, brand is more important than ever before – especially when it comes to creating loyalty with fans. The sponsorship deals offer two-way exposure as clubs can increase their brand visibility across brand new markets and demographics by leveraging their platforms and global marketing reach.
The casino brands benefit too, though, as they get to tap into the massive fanbase of the Premier League and expand their presence both in local areas and internationally.
Richer fan engagement and promotional activities
Fans benefit from casino involvement, too. Sponsors bring exciting customer-facing campaigns which can include everything from fun events to promotions, bonus offers and VIP matchday experiences — adding another element and making gameday (and the lead up) that much more thrilling.
Helps to support smaller clubs
It can be a challenge for some of the smaller clubs to compete when the bigger ones seem to be getting all the sponsorship. For them, casino deals can transform them and even help them to make it further up the league tables.
From funding stadium upkeep to helping clear existing debts and strengthening competitiveness, casino sponsorship has helped support small and lower-tier clubs and seen them find more success.
Brings innovation and new technologies to the team
A further (and sometimes unexpected) benefit to sponsorships from casino companies is the way they can bring innovations to the club. In the past, this has included bringing fans AR/VR experiences so they can experience their favourite team close (albeit virtually).
Academies and community investment
Finally, we have the benefits to the academies and the community. Funds from casinos have been known to flow into community and grassroots initiatives. And that’s by law too, as under the UK code of conduct, teams must reinvest their sponsorship income into sporting infrastructure, which includes everything from academy development to training grounds and community programs.
