LeoVegas to sponsor Blackpool FC
MGM’s online gambling operator has secured front-of-shirt sponsorship rights.
UK.- Sweden’s MGM-owned LeoVegas has sealed a deal to become the front-of-shirt sponsor of League One Blackpool FC. It will feature on the front of 2023/24 first-team shirts and on pitch-side LED screens and static boards at Bloomfield Road Stadium.
Sam Behar, LeoVegas director of UK and sponsorship, said: “We are delighted to announce this sponsorship with ‘The Seasiders’ for the upcoming season. Partnering with a club like Blackpool that has such a long-standing history in the game presents a fantastic opportunity for LeoVegas Group to promote the greatest igaming experience across the UK.
“The club and the group share common values and a desire to grow, and we can’t wait for the season to get underway.”
Chelsea backs out of Stake.com deal
Campaigners have criticised continued football sponsorship deals in England after Premiership sides Burnley and Fulham signed one-year deals with W88 and SBOTOP respectively. A survey of 10,000 football fans in England and Wales suggests that 73 per cent have concerns about the amount of gambling advertising in the sport.
However, Chelsea FC has backed out of a potential partnership with online casino Stake.com due to criticism from the club’s supporter’s trust. The deal would have replaced its sponsorship arrangement with Three, which ended his summer.
The supporters’ trust said: “The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust does not believe that it is in the best interests of our members for Chelsea Football Club to associate with an online casino and betting company as the primary shirt sponsor.”
Meanwhile, north of the border, online gambling operator QuinnBet has extended its sponsorship of the Scottish Premiership’s Hibernian for two more years. QuinnBet branding will appear on the front of the first team’s travel wear as well as on pitch-side LED’s at Easter Road.
