One of the world’s most storied soccer clubs has partnered with a legal sports betting operator.
Fulham F.C. has landed a record-breaking front-of-shirt sponsorship deal with SBOTOP for the 2023-24 season. As part of the pact, SBOTOP — the owner of UK betting sites and casinos — will also have in-stadium branding throughout Craven Cottage, the club’s home since 1896.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. W88 had previously served as Fulham’s betting sponsor.
“We are pleased to welcome SBOTOP as our front-of-shirt partner as we continue our exciting journey in the Premier League. The coveted front-of-shirt sponsorship plays an integral part in keeping the Club competitive through significant revenue, and we look forward to celebrating continued success in 2023/24,” said Fulham Commercial Director Jon Don-Carolis.
Fulham joins seven other Premier League clubs with front-of-shirt gambling sponsors. The clubs include New Castle United (Fun88), Everton (Stake.com), West Ham United (Betway), and others. Leeds United also is part of the group, as the club secured a deal with SBOTOP in 2020.
Changing times
Fulham’s deal with SBOTOP comes amid a shift in the Premier League’s stance on gambling sponsorships. The league’s 20 clubs will withdraw gambling company sponsorships on the front of matchday kits starting after the 2025-26 season. However, the Premier League will continue to allow its member clubs to have gambling sponsors on shirt sleeves and throughout the pitch.
The Premier League’s decision to ban gambling sponsorship on the front of kits mirrors its competitors. La Liga and Serie A — the two top-flight soccer leagues in Spain and Italy, respectively — have prohibited gambling sponsorships due to government-imposed restrictions.
Despite their ban, the Premier League’s decision to only prohibit front-of-shit sponsorships will allow the competition and its clubs to continue to benefit from deals with gambling companies.
“I don’t think having gambling sponsorship on shirts is good. But I understand the gambling companies pay best so it’s a difficult decision for clubs to turn them down,” Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. owner Tony Bloom told The Guardian in April.
The money gambling companies can provide has also infiltrated women’s soccer. Earlier this week, FIFA announced that TAB — New Zealand’s racing and sports betting agency — has become the Women’s World Cup’s first gambling sponsor. TAB will have an advertising presence throughout the four stadiums that will host the World Cup from July 20 through Aug. 20.
