As sponsorship restrictions on betting operators tighten across global sport, the perspective of the operator is often missing.
In this exclusive interview, Insider Sport speaks with Aelita Chilingaryan, PR Manager and Communication at TotoGaming, who offers a rare and candid insight into what these changes mean from the inside
She speaks about the consequences of blanket bans, as well as the untold value of partnerships in emerging markets. Chilingaryan explains why betting sponsorships are not just necessary but vital to the future of sport
Read the full conversation below
Sponsorship has become central to the relationship between betting operators and sport. From your perspective, what makes a partnership truly valuable for both sides?
At the core of any collaboration is its purpose, one that should serve both sides. Truly valuable partnerships between sports and gaming operators are not just about visibility or sponsorship fees; they are built on a shared vision. That’s when the outcomes become more tangible.
To make this clearer, let me give an example: Totogaming’s partnership with Romanian club CFR Cluj 2024/25 season. CFR Cluj is a football team with decades of history, and over the years it has become Romanian champion eight times. It was within this championship drive that Totogaming and Cluj found each other. The philosophy of striving for victory and the vision behind it were aligned. Both brands had already shown through their journeys that champions are not born, they are made. That idea became the foundation of our partnership, and that’s how we began building it.
Without such an ideological approach, a collaboration risks turning into nothing more than a set of contractual obligations carried out automatically.
TotoGaming operates in a fast-growing market. How do local sporting cultures influence the way you approach sponsorship deals compared to more mature regions?
TotoGaming operates in both Armenia and Romania, but within the scope of this question, I’ll focus on the Armenian reality.
In Armenia, the gaming sector is under strict limitations, and these restrictions also extend to sports. By this, I mean a complete ban on any form of involvement of betting companies in sports. You can imagine the negative consequences this has had on the prospects for sports development. Also this brings to monopolisation of sports sponsorship fled by one big company, as in expanding markets sport do not have big choice.
Another side effect is the monopolisation of sports sponsorship by a single large company. In emerging markets like Armenia, sport does not have a wide range of potential partners, so when restrictions eliminate competition, clubs and federations are left with very limited choices.
Before these restrictions, TotoGaming had already become the sponsor of five football clubs in Armenia. This support was highly valuable for Armenian football teams. Beyond financial backing, it also helped establish the right culture of cooperation, where both sides delivered quality work, and athletes gained experience with personal sponsorships. Today, the reality is different: all areas of sport have lost significant sponsorship opportunities due to the ban, which directly impacts the environment for growth.
Of course, a responsible approach to regulation is necessary and we fully recognise that. But a total restriction cannot lead to positive results. The outcome is that Armenian sport today is in great need of large-scale sponsorship partnerships. And here I’m not only speaking about football, which is already so popular and widespread. I mean tennis, basketball, and even Armenian hockey, all of which have been deprived of important support.
Can the points I’ve mentioned be considered relevant to the question raised? Yes, they are. Large-scale sponsorship programs with betting operators help create the right environment for sports, fostering a sponsorship culture that is currently so lacking.
Some critics argue betting brands dominate the sponsorship landscape. Do you think this concentration is sustainable, or will sports need to diversify revenue streams?
I believe the presence of betting brands in the sports sponsorship landscape is completely normal and natural. It’s also no secret that, for sports, the involvement of betting operators in sponsorship agreements is simply a necessity.
In my opinion, the real priority is not diversifying revenue streams, but improving the quality and content of sponsorships.
Today, many of these collaborations already highlight responsible gaming messages and CSR projects. This kind of approach should become the standard. Of course, diversification is always healthy in the long term, but betting operators remain among the most reliable and committed partners for sport today. The future lies in partnerships that go beyond logos and finances, becoming platforms for education, community engagement, and the promotion of responsible gaming.
Visibility is one thing, but storytelling and activation are another. How do you ensure sponsorships move beyond logos and deliver genuine engagement with fans?
As you may have gathered from my previous answers, I consider storytelling a very important component of such partnerships, because people connect with human stories. That’s why back in 2021, when Totogaming was the sponsor of Ararat Yerevan football club, we also closely collaborated with player Davit Manoyan. This partnership went beyond the Totogaming x Ararat Yerevan sponsorship and extended into our CSR initiatives.
Davit became actively involved in Totogaming’s “Power Has No Gender” campaign, which was aimed to encourage and empower women in sport. He played a central role, including presenting trophies to the winners during the 2022 and 2023 award ceremonies. The moment you find an athlete who can embody and communicate the brand’s vision and purpose to the audience, sponsorship stops being only about logos.
When it comes to activations, even in today’s online era, offline activations still hold their ground. They may engage fewer people compared to digital campaigns, but those people truly get to interact with the brand, experience it firsthand, and come away with a deep understanding of it.
Emerging markets are often seen as the next frontier for sports growth. What role can betting sponsorships play in helping leagues and clubs professionalise in those regions?
In developing markets, sport especially needs attention and sponsorship, and collaborations with betting operators can have a serious impact on the growth of specific sport disciplines. In Armenia, for example, before the restrictions, betting companies were actively sponsoring basketball. It was during that period that this sport experienced some of its best years in decades. The women’s team Hatis stood out with its victories, a rare phenomenon in the Armenian sports landscape. We all understand that quality sport requires financial investment.
The same applies to sports venues. Where government funding is insufficient, private investment steps in. Yet in developing markets, the construction, maintenance, and upgrading of sports venues to international standards often receives little attention. Among the few who do step forward are betting operators. Internationally, it is common practice for an operator to invest in building a fully equipped stadium from scratch, maintain it annually, and in return, give it the operator’s name.
Looking back at what such an approach can change in a country’s sporting ecosystem, it becomes unnecessary to even argue about the importance of these partnerships. The impact speaks for itself.
From a communications standpoint, what’s the biggest misconception about betting sponsorships that you’d like to challenge?
What concerns me most is the advertising of unlicensed betting. And unfortunately, today that advertising is everywhere, even within sports sponsorships. In such cases, all forms of responsible approaches and conceptual communications become irrelevant. What we see instead is black-market positioning, where sport is often used simply as a vehicle for visibility in a given region.
This issue has a direct impact on the entire industry. Licensed companies, that operate within the law, work hard to earn users’ trust and to position betting as a form of entertainment. Yet their efforts are undermined when unlicensed operators are allowed to use sport for exposure without any accountability.
That’s why I believe sport must adopt the right approach toward partnerships with betting operators. Otherwise, we face two equally harmful extremes: either banning all collaborations with betting brands, or engaging with unlicensed ones. Both approaches lead to the same negative outcomes.
You’ll be speaking on the ‘Game Changers’ panel at SBC Summit Tbilisi. What message are you most keen to share with sports business leaders in the audience?
To truly be a game changer, a partnership must be built on a strong concept and the right messaging. You can have a very powerful collaboration, with a high-profile sports club or athlete, and still the outcome may not be impressive if the core messages are not properly highlighted or communicated.
When you’re working inside a brand, it may sometimes feel as though your key messages have already been heard too many times, or that people are tired of them. But once you step outside of the brand bubble, you realise that is not the case. If you have an important, impactful message within a sponsorship, don’t hesitate to repeat it.
