Birmingham City gets a second chance in Asia, signing Duelbits after learning from a previous unlicensed betting partnership.
Birmingham City Football Club has unveiled Duelbits as its official Asian betting partner, with the club looking to correct sponsorship mistakes it made earlier this year.
The Championship club explained the agreement aims to help grow its presence across Asia, which it says has become a “key focus of Birmingham City’s commercial and marketing strategy in recent years.”
This connection to the continent is mostly driven by players, such as Kyōgo Furuhashi, Tomoki Iwata and Paik Seung-ho, though Birmingham didn’t provide a clear explanation on how this deal will improve its standing in the region or any details on planned activations.
Birmingham City CEO Jeremy Dale said the club was drawn to Duelbits’ customer-first approach and innovation.
“We are excited to welcome Duelbits onboard as the club continue to increase our global standing. As an organisation, we are big on fan experience and in Duelbits we have a partner who shares that approach and puts their customers at the forefront of their operation,” he said.
“That is something which really resonates with us. As with every partnership we enter into we ensure that they are likeminded businesses, who share our values of customer centricity, speed and innovation. In Duelbits, we certainly have found one of those and we are very excited for what this partnership will deliver for us both in Asia.”
Duelbits is an online crypto casino which also plans to launch a predictions platform. Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Willemstad, Curaçao, the company is currently run by CEO Christopher Curran, who has previously held roles at William Hill, Bet365 and Sharp Gaming.
Jasper Hoekert, Chief Marketing Officer at Duelbits, explained football is a global language, with this partnership helping the company “speak it louder.”
This deal with Birmingham City is not Duelbits’ first entry into football, having previously partnered with Premier League club Aston Villa in 2022. The brand has also extended its presence across other sports, including ambassador agreements with strongman Eddie Hall and MMA fighter Dillon Danis for his 2023 influencer boxing bout against Logan Paul.
“Becoming Birmingham City’s Asian betting partner is a significant step in expanding Duelbits’ global presence,” said Hoekert.
“Asia is one of the most passionate and fast-growing football regions, and together we’re creating new ways for fans to engage, predict, and experience the sport on a whole new level.”
Moving on from God55
This isn’t the first Asian betting partner to be announced by the English club this year, following a deal with Asian brand God55.
In March 2025, Insider Sport uncovered the club’s previous betting partner, God55, had falsely claimed to hold a Malta Gaming Authority licence. The joint investigation with iGaming Expert revealed the operator was not listed by any of the regulators it claimed, including Malta, Curacao and the Philippines’ PAGCOR.
The revelation prompted scrutiny from the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), which warned clubs about the legal and reputational risks of partnering with unlicensed operators. Birmingham City ultimately scrapped the God55 deal entirely, removing any trace of the agreement.
While Birmingham City never responded to Insider Sport’s questions about the partnership, the experience appears to have informed the club’s approach to the Duelbits deal. Rather than rushing into a high-profile commercial deal, the club has chosen a partner with a regulated and transparent footprint.
