Gambling Sponsorships in 2020. Where will it go?

Shaking hands with a gambling company over cappuccinos and a sponsorship deal is the dream scenario for many sports teams. The elite sporting world is dominated by money, with players being wheeled and dealed for obscene sums. Therefore, these teams need to secure the best paying sponsors to keep up with the competition and contribute to buying the best players.

The gambling industry is so attractive because it is booming right now. Worth billions of pounds each year, companies have more money to spend on having their branding plastered on players’ shirts, golf bags and around stadiums. But the deal is mutually beneficial. Betting and sport go together because many sports fans use gambling sites to bet on their teams. If these gambling firms can get in the mainstream view of one of their prime markets, they also stand to make more money.

With this in mind, where is gambling sponsorship heading in 2020? What can we expect to see from gambling sponsorship in different sports?

Gambling Sponsorship in Football

Currently, more than 50% of Premier League football teams are sponsored by a gambling company in some form. That number rises in the league below, suggesting football teams in the UK are already reliant on gambling companies to top up their transfer kitties.

That would look set to continue and grow further, but one thing may stand in the way. Ministers of the UK Government are reported to be arranging a review of current legislation and could ban gambling companies from using players’ shirts as advertising space. Watch this space.

Gambling Sponsorship in Golf

The best golfers can also make a quick penny from gambling sponsors. These players usually hold many sponsors at once from golfing manufacturers to those aforementioned casinos and such. However, there is a trend gearing up to also win sponsorship deals for the players’ caddies. After all, these men and women feature on the screen just as much as the players and they too may start to receive funds from sponsors, including gambling businesses.

Gambling Sponsorship in Darts

Those who enjoy the darts and enjoy a flutter usually swing in the same circles. That makes the competitions another seamless fit for gambling companies, which has been the status quo for some time. The trend will continue with no governmental review pending like in football, and especially considering BetVictor just extended their sponsorship rights of the 2020 Darts World Cup.

What Can Non-Gambling Companies Do?

The success of the gambling industry and the mutually beneficial fit between sport and gambling are making it hard for companies outside of gambling to attract sports teams. Individual athletes may not be as interested in choosing a gambling company – and that should be where other sponsorship hopefuls may want to focus their attention.