While Premier League clubs have been enjoying a well-earned rest, sponsorship news has not let up ahead of the 2024/25 season. Noticeably, many clubs have been seeking betting partners for the upcoming campaign.
With a restriction on such partnerships looming in 2026/27, the league’s ecosystem has been abuzz with reactions from supporters regarding various gambling sponsorships. Clubs and sportsbooks appear to be capitalising on these agreements while they still can.
BetMGM, operating in the UK on LeoVegas’ platform, has partnered with Newcastle United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Tottenham Hotspur. To gain insights into BetMGM’s strategy and its perspective on the upcoming ban, Insider Sport spoke with Sam Behar, Director of UK and Sponsorship at BetMGM UK.
Firstly, what are the key objectives you aim to achieve through sponsorship deals with Wolverhampton Wanderers, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur?
These partnerships enable us to reach new audiences with unique and engaging content. Partnering with clubs like Newcastle, Wolves and Spurs helps BetMGM build credibility and trust and ensures we have a real point of difference to the rest of the UK market.
Could you walk us through the decision making behind LeoVegas Group’s football marketing approach so far across its brand portfolio? Which teams have you worked with, and why were these seen as ideal partners?
We will always engage with ambitious teams who are looking to grow. Doing so perfectly aligns with the growth ambitions we have as a business. We have worked with a range of partners across football – Premier League, Serie A, the Danish Superliga – and have shown it to be a successful model.
Why has BetMGM chosen to up the ante on its football engagement in 2024? Is this a response to successful outcomes seen last season?
BetMGM has exceeded expectations across the two markets we are now live in with LeoVegas Group. Our sponsorship approach has been a core driver of that, and we will continue to invest in such deals accordingly.
These deals place BetMGM’s UK marketing focus heavily on football. How does this complement the brand’s deals in other British sports, like darts and racing?
We have a broad mix of sponsorship and brand ambassador assets within the BetMGM portfolio. We are partnering with The Jockey Club, Ascot and ARC across racing. We have a multi-year commitment with the PDC for BetMGM Premier League darts. We are the headline partner of the White and Jordan show on talkSPORT. And that’s before we mention our ambassador portfolio in Megan Nichols, Laura Woods and – of course – Chris Rock.
It’s fair to say our partnership assets span well beyond football, and the common thread amongst them all is that showtime and entertainment are at the heart of how we communicate to our audience.
How will BetMGM’s and LeoVegas’ respective football partnerships complement each other and drive engagement with LeoVegas Group as a whole?
Like many in this sector, we operate a multi-brand strategy. Sport sits at the heart of what we do, and we believe the continued investment in our partnership portfolio will aid tremendously to our hero casino brand in LeoVegas and our hero sport brand in BetMGM.
How significant do you expect Tottenham Hotspur’s presence in European competition to be for BetMGM’s brand presence and visibility?
As we expand BetMGM internationally, of course we are excited by Spur’s appearance in European football. This offers us a chance to communicate beyond the UK to other critical growth markets for the group.
Spurs’ deal with BetMGM includes sponsorship of training kits. What benefits does this type of sponsorship offer, and how will BetMGM maximise its impact through activations?
When you train, you spend your time getting ready for the show, and no one knows how to put on a show like BetMGM. As our launch film highlighted, we know what it feels like when the curtain goes up and we will align our heritage of Las Vegas entertainment with the preparation for the big event that training encompasses.
BetMGM is not pursuing front-of-shirt sponsorships with any Premier League clubs. Is this in preparation for the upcoming ban on such sponsorships? Why didn’t BetMGM decide to capitalise on this opportunity while it still could?
Responsibility is at the core of our business. We support the impending restrictions on front-of-shirt partnerships in the UK and believe the best place for our business to balance exposure to new audiences with the need to act responsibly is off the pitch during training.
Given the upcoming ban and increasing scrutiny on gambling sponsorships, will BetMGM intensify efforts to enhance its reputation and engage more actively with fans and the regulator?
Absolutely. We already have a fantastic close working relationship with the regulator and look to continue to strengthen that in the coming years.
Looking ahead, how can we expect BetMGM’s sports sponsorship activity evolving in the coming years?
Keep your eyes peeled, that’s all we can say right now!