UEFA signs first betting partnership with Betano

From the United Kingdom to Australia, the idea of having betting sponsorships of sports teams has not been the most appealing. There have been many vocal opponents who have garnered support from fans, condemning such ties, and arguing that gambling companies corrupted the games, and exposed children to deliberate harm.

As a result, the majority of big markets have been firmly pushing towards the end of such collaborations. UEFA, though, has decided to buck that trend with the organization governing the European Championship deciding to establish instead a new partnership that will go the opposite way and bring online gambling brand Betano, a Kaizen Gaming owned company, as the sponsor of the 2024 edition of the event.

There have been no specific financial details revealed about the deal, but it puts Betano in a very strong opposition as the brand has already managed to convince FIFA to accept it as its first betting sponsor during the World Cup in Qatar last year, and it has seemingly been pushing to further strengthen its positions elsewhere.

Kaizen Gaming Founder and CEO George Daskalakis was very happy with the development, welcoming it as a milestone for the company.

"We are thrilled to be partnering with UEFA for the upcoming EURO 2024 tournament," he noted, "adding that this is a first-of-its-kind collaboration which focuses firmly on innovation and excellence. The idea behind the partnership is to not just raise awareness for Betano as a brand but to also ensure better fan engagement and enhanced fan experiences.

The tournament is due to take place from June 14 through July 14, 2024, and will be hosted in 10 cities. UEFA Director of Marketing Guy-Laurent Epstein was similarly excited about the partnership, adding that Betano is a globally recognized digital and betting giant which focuses on delivering cutting-edge experiences while observing the core tenets of responsible gambling.

"We believe that their industry expertise and affinity to football make them a great fit for the tournament," Epstein said. The financial impact of the deal would be difficult to estimate, and there will also be the question of how national broadcasters handle the fact that local opposition to sports betting partnerships in sports is now at odds with the UEFA-hosted event which offers no such discretion.

Image credit: UEFA