English football has seen yet another gambling deal ahead of the 2024/25 season, with the dealmaker this time around being newly promoted Premier League side Leicester City.
The East Midlands club, which famously stunned the football world by winning the top flight in 2015/16, has partnered with BC.GAME, an international crypto casino.
Described by the club as the most valuable in its history, the deal has made BC.GAME Leicester’s front-of-shirt sponsor for the 2024/25 season. It has not been stated whether the deal also covers the 2025/26 season.
The agreement follows a trend observed in the English top-flight lately which has seen several teams sign bookmaker partnerships over the past month. Wolves signed separate deals with BetMGM and DE.BET, while Crystal Palace partnered with Net88.
Leicester City Chief Executive, Susan Whelan, said: “We welcome BC.GAME to Leicester City – an opportunity to work with an innovative partner in a new category for the Club.
“As a leading global operator in a rapidly evolving environment, BC.GAME already have a history of successful relationships in sport and we look forward to the development of a mutually beneficial partnership.
“The ability to attract high-value partners upon our return to the Premier League is vital to our determination to re-establish Leicester City among the game’s elite, to continue to invest in a competitive squad and to ensure the best possible experience for our supporters.”
Clubs and bookmakers have two key motivations to sign sponsorship deals over the next two years. Firstly is the incoming voluntary ban on front-of-shirt sponsorship deals from the 2026/27 season onwards.
Last year, 18 of the Premier League’s 20 clubs voted to withdraw front-of-shirt deals from this date, having been facing mounting public and political pressure over the visibility of such deals.
Although in-stadium advertising and sleeve sponsorships will remain, bookmakers will lose out on the significant visibility of front-of-shirt deals. This has incentivised many to clinch these partnerships for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 seasons whilst the opportunity remains.
The second important element to consider is club finances. It is interesting to note that many of these betting deals are described as being among the most valuable commercial agreements in these clubs’ histories.
This showcases the key role betting partnerships can play in a club’s revenue, in addition to demonstrating the concerns many clubs’ financial and commercial teams may have around profit and sustainability (PSR) rules.
These rules have made it even more important for clubs to ensure steady and strong revenue streams. For Leicester, which faces a points deduction upon its return to the Premier League from the Championship for PSR violations, this significance is even greater.
To further diversify its revenue streams, Leicester is also retaining its relationship with King Power. The travel retail group is a long-term partner of the club, notably its stadium sponsor, and has now been named its training wear partner.
Commenting on BC.GAME’s partnership, the crypto casino’s Director of Marketing and Affiliates, Rayne Davis, said: “We are excited to join forces with Leicester City, a club with a rich history, a passionate fanbase and authentic global appeal.
“This partnership represents a unique opportunity to introduce a new brand of exciting, safe and responsible online gaming to new audiences, and we look forward to a successful collaboration.”
