Scrutiny For Gambling Sponsors
BetMGM has announced a partnership with Newcastle United Football Club with a focus on the visibility of their brand in the UK market. As part of the marketing campaign supporting the betting company’s launch in the UK, they have signed a multi-year partnership with the club and will become an official club partner for the 2023/24 English football season.
The news arrives amidst heavy scrutiny on the relationship between Premier League clubs and gambling companies. In April 2023, the Premier League announced a voluntary ban on front-of-shirt sponsorship deals with betting companies. By the start of the 2026/27 season, all gambling sponsorship will be withdrawn from the front of matchday jerseys.
As it stands, clubs will still be able to display gambling sponsorship on shirt sleeves and around the stadium and are able to continue to share commercial partnerships. The publication of the White Paper has put advertising standards in the gambling industry under pressure, and this may continue to build in the future.
Shared Ambition
Chief Commercial Officer at Newcastle United, Peter Silverstone, said that the club are delighted to welcome BetMGM as an official partner. He also pointed out that Newcastle is already the site of the entertainment company’s UK office and emphasised an existing relationship already shared with the people of Newcastle.
Newcastle United were purchased by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund in 2021 with almost immediate success for the club. BetMGM will serve as a betting partner for a team playing in a prominent European competition for the first time in over ten years.
BetMGM director Sam Behar commented on this directly in his comments. He said that it was a golden moment for the football club and its fans. He added they are proud the club selected BetMGM as a partner and that both companies share an ambition and drive to grow.
BetMGM officially launched in the UK in August 2023 alongside a marketing campaign that features stand-up comedian Chris Rock. He appears in two videos, one promoting the company’s services and another highlighting the tools that show their commitment to responsible gambling. The campaign will run on live sports broadcasts and other TV spots as well as on out-of-home media, digital platforms, social media and radio.
They have teamed up with their subsidiary LeoVegas to launch the casino and sportsbook platform with Kambi technology. This means they will directly compete with Entain, who are partners in the US side of MGM Resorts International. Entain runs the prominent Ladbrokes, Coral, and Gala brands in the UK.
Increased Visibility
It is not clear how the partnership will manifest, but visibility around the football club’s stadium, St. James’ Park, is a core focus of the partnership. Real estate on the matchday shirt is already taken up by other Public Investment Fund ventures.
Newcastle currently display the Saudi Arabian entertainment and resort company, Sela, on the front of their shirt as part of a £25 million-a-year sponsorship deal. The Saudi e-commerce platform, Noon, is shown on the shirt sleeves. Both Noon and Sela were founded by the same Public Investment Fund that has taken over Newcastle United.
Newcastle already shares partnerships with other companies in the betting space; former front-of-shirt sponsor Fun88 still maintain a principal partnership as well as Sportsbet.io.
