Casinos are taking market shares in sports sponsorship
Casinos have become increasingly involved in sport sponsorships. Politicians want more to be done about their dominance, writes Comment Central.
Sponsorship in sport is a crucial aspect of a professional team's revenue and allows them to invest in facilities, maintenance and to purchase new players to progress as a club. In fact, aside from TV rights, sponsorship is up there with ticket sales and club merchandise as a pivotal stream of annual revenue.
Casinos and online gambling sites have stepped in to provide this revenue because it has excellent ROI potential for these businesses. Discover more about how this type of business is taking up a large share of the sports market, here.
Why are Casinos Interested in Sports?
Casinos are swarming all types of sports and leagues with their brand and patronage. The reasons for this are quite simple. For one, sports are watched by millions of people around the world, and that puts their brand in the spotlight. With so many people watching sport globally, and online gambling accessible from almost anywhere, sports sponsorship can be a lucrative business for gambling companies.
Another reason why this type of marketing in sports is a smart move, is due to the type of people who watch sport. Many sports fans are opinionated and like sports betting. Most online casinos also have sister companies where punters can place sports bets too; this can make patronage of this kind even more profitable.
This is partly why The Guardian recently suggested that the betting industry and football are "inextricably linked".
Which Sports Have the Most Casino Brands?
Gambling patronage is rife in the world of football right now with over 50 per cent of teams in The Premier League sponsored by a betting company. And an even more significant percentage of teams in The Championship is sponsored by a casino.
But this by no means is just football. It was recently pointed out the growing amount of casino sponsorship in golf and darts as another area of sports that casinos are targeting. It is not just players either. The golfers' caddies are now being considered too.
Who Are Casinos Biggest Competition for Sponsorship?
Gone are the days when the most prominent sports sponsorships were technology companies, TV brands and breweries. Most sports partnerships of the modern era revolve around online gambling sites and even crypto sites or stock exchanges.
But there is one other group of sports sponsorships that are competing with this trend – airlines. There are a lot of sports teams choosing airlines like Emirates and Qatar Airways.
Is There Any Pushback on Casino Sports Patronage?
Yes, there is some pushback about the number of gambling brands sponsoring sports teams. The reason for this is because it is not just adults who enjoy sports but younger viewers as well, many of which are not of the legal age to gamble.
This comes into conflict with advertising regulations to protect children from the possibility of being influenced by the lure of gambling. Some things are being done to keep children protected, such as child sports jerseys not including any casino brands and gambling company names on them. Yet, some groups and politicians still want more to be done.
This ties in with why the Labour Party are seeking to appoint a new Gambling Ombudsman service.
