The old adage that ‘as one door closes another one opens’ has never been as relevant for marketers of a global sports betting sector, witnessing the dynamics of sponsorship move from the old west to the new south.
In Europe, regulators have been adopting stringent restrictions and oversight on how betting operators interact with sports audiences, the cornerstone of marketing for the industry. Yet, the connection between football and betting in particular now faces an unprecedented level of scrutiny across all European markets.
On the other side of the Atlantic and in the southern hemisphere, there are abundant high coverage opportunities available to operators . One-by-one, Latin American betting markets are regulated with Argentina, Colombia, and now Brazil and Peru posing lucrative opportunities and better value for investment than European counterparts.
Betsson: Europe needs harmonisation on football sponsorships
For Betsson, Europe poses a fragmented regulatory landscape around sports marketing. While the multinational operator ensures compliance with all regulations, CEO Jesper Svensson told Insider Sport at the ICE2025 trade show last month, it is “hard not to think that some restrictions may have unintended consequences.”

“To some degree, I think and I hope that it will turn the other way around because as Europe has become more locally regulated by country, there has to be clear benefits for operators to be locally regulated,” Svensson detailed to Insider Sport.
“One of those benefits has to be that you can market your product. If you can’t market your product in a locally regulated market, there is a risk that the black market and cannibalisation will be very bad.
“We have seen some examples of that in Europe where the regulation is not working effectively. We hope that in the future, it will be possible for the regulated industry to engage more in sponsorships than what you have seen so many examples of today.”
A tough hand has been dealt to marketing teams who have had to adjust to consecutive years of regulatory realignments, placing a greater scrutiny on how licensed operators interact with sports teams particularly targeting football audiences.
In the UK, the Premier League is introducing a self-imposed ban on front-of-shirt partnerships from the end of the 2025/26 season. A complete ban on club sponsorships has been in effect in Italy and Spain for some time, and is coming into effect in Belgium and the Netherlands. Yet, for Betsson, there needs to be a distinction between sponsors who provide meaningful and sustainable engagement with fans and communities and those that do not, as not all sponsorships carry trust or value.
As Svensson noted at ICE, he hopes this situation will not remain the case forever, but for now, Betsson, like other licensed operators, will adjust its marketing model to meet these new requirements. A diverse marketing mix is an ideal course of action, Svensson explained.
“When there are limitations, obviously the assets that are not limited become more and more attractive. You will need to look for new ways to promote your brand which will increase the diversity of these efforts from companies like ourselves.”
Of course, diversity in sports betting marketing is nothing new. Most bookmakers pursue partnerships beyond football, signing deals across rugby, cricket, boxing, MMA, motorsports and basketball, to name a few examples.
Betsson is no exception to this. The firm’s activity in Greece has been noticeably diverse, for example, being active not just in football but also in motorsports. Last year it took its relationship with more niche sports to another level though, partnering with Premier Padel.
“Football is our number one focus, and most of the things we do are related to football, but in order to get more exposure outside of that we want to explore other sports,” Svensson said.
“Padel is a good example. It is a sport that is growing rapidly – it is the fastest growing in the world – and there are good opportunities within that space to align our brand with the sport.”
LATAM: passion calls for sustainability

The Americas have been the site of some huge gold rushes in the international betting industry over the past few years. First was the US, following the repeal of PASPA in 2018, and attention has now turned to Latin America’s developing markets.
Brazil’s launch of an eagerly anticipated national betting market in particular has got a lot of stakeholders excited, though in Betsson’s case the company is more focused on the Spanish-speaking Latin American markets. Its experience of sports marketing in Europe is proving useful in these countries.
The company is a long-term partner of the hugely popular Boca Juniors and, the week after ICE, signed a new deal with Racing Club. This has been mirrored in Colombia, where it partnered with Atlético Nacional, the most widely followed club in the country.
“In general, the fanbases in Latin America are engaging more with the club than what you see in Europe,” Svensson explained.
“It’s extremely passionate, particularly in Argentina. We do a lot of special events and special promotions for our customers, where they can get unforgettable money-can’t-buy experiences, which have been very popular.”
Experience of sports marketing in Europe has taught Betsson a few other lessons as well though. The value of partnering with a high profile football club is obvious, but making sure a partnership goes beyond just branding and actually connects with fans is another matter.
Connecting with fans right where the action is, on the pitchside, both through advertising but also providing the ‘money can’t buy experiences’ Svensson refers to, is a particularly successful marketing method with Latin American fanbases.
Social media is a hugely valuable tool for the modern sports marketer, as are various physical channels. Also, to ensure as wide exposure as possible, a diverse approach to which sports one works with comes in handy even in football-obsessed Latin America.
“One thing is the exposure and branding, that is important, but it is about everything you can do in the digital channels with the club and how you can engage with the fanbases, the media you get through LED exposure,” Betsson’s CEO observed.
“It’s the total package that makes the sponsorship work. It’s much more than just the name on the shirts.”

On diverse marketing, he added: “Even padel is massive in Latin America, it’s really big in Argentina, Mexico, and it’s growing in most countries over there – but Latin America is so passionate about football, everything you do within football is likely to have a higher engagement than any other sport.”
Like Europe too though, Latin American markets are becoming more and more careful about how sports sponsorships are conducted. Though Betsson is not targeting Brazil, the country is perhaps the best example of how a Latin American country has paid attention to European developments.
Responsible advertising is a core component of Brazil’s regulatory framework, and operators and clubs are also required to meet strict integrity standards. For companies active in other markets, taking on lessons from Europe around responsible gambling are also important.
It is, after all, concerns around gambling-related harm and that contributed to the strict standards around sports marketing in the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and Italy, and the changes to the operator-football club relationship in the UK.
Boca sponsorship born out of the respect for fans…
Putting effort into responsible gaming campaigns with football club partners can pay off, Betsson believes. The firm has ‘proper programmes’ for working with clubs, Svensson said, with a recent example being a campaign with Boca Juniors featuring Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani.
He added that Betsson’s sporting partners ‘want to be assured that we are dealing with fans in a responsible way’. The need to stand out from the crowd in a competitive market via ambitious partnerships need not clash with responsibility efforts and positive branding, he says.
“They don’t have to be contradictory, I think you can achieve both through the same efforts. Marketing should always be reflective of what you stand for as a brand. For us, they work hand in hand.”

The link between betting and sports is as old as either industry, but it is being tested by regulatory challenge and public pressure. Marketers have a lot of considerations – how to navigate regulatory requirements across different markets, activate fans in a responsible manner, and build their brand in a positive way.
Sports organisations on both sides of the Atlantic also want to see this lucrative marketing relationship continue. However, they too must balance the financial needs of their businesses with regulatory requirements and pick the right operators to a socially responsible approach to their fanbase.
“I think the gaming industry contributes significantly to the sports industry across the world, and we are a very important partner globally to the sporting industry,” Svensson summarised.
“It’s important for both us and the sports industry that we retain this strong relationship.”