Unibet becomes training kit partner for Leeds United

The partnerships between betting companies and Premier League clubs in the United Kingdom have been quite common recently with a number of prominent soccer clubs tying the knot with a betting partner over the past several weeks. Chelsea, Aston Villa, and now Leeds United are just some of the examples.

This comes at a particularly difficult time for the industry as a whole, as partnerships between sports clubs and betting companies are expected to be outlawed under the UK government’sWhite Paper on Gambling, which is in the process of re-regulating the industry and introducing stronger consumer-oriented measures. Consultations are right now ongoing to determine the best way to enact an end to sponsorship deals that feature betting companies branding on player shirts or stadiums.

Leeds United has chosen Unibet only as the club’s new official training wear partner, an agreement which will kick off from the beginning of 2023/24. The company’s branding will feature on both the men’s first team and women’s team training wear, and it will also be visible on the men’s first team coaching staff’s wear.

Commenting on this fresh opportunity, Kindred Group, the company which owns Unibet, welcomed the news. Kindred’s Head of UK Marketing Sam Mead argued that the link-up was a great way to continue what he described as an industry-leading model of providing sponsorships and benefits to clubs and players.

"Our industry-leading model of sponsorship provides benefits to both clubs and their communities – something we will drive forward throughout the season," Mead noted. As to Leeds United, the team’s Executive Director Paul Bell was similarly happy to see the prominent betting company become the club’s official training wear partner.

This is not a first for Leeds United when it comes to working with Kindred Group either. Previously, the club had a rapport with 32Red, another sport betting brand that is owned by the Group, specifically during the 2019/20 season.

Other clubs, in the meantime, have been pursuing opportunities as well. As mentioned, Chelsea found a substantial opportunity by teaming up with Stake, a prominent company that is licensed in the United Kingdom.

Even though a ban is now going to prohibit sports betting sponsorships with soccer clubs and sports teams in general, teams still think they have time to make the most of the current situation. The measure is expected to hit at the end of the 2025/2026 season as is understood.

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