With online betting sites becoming bigger and more popular every day, it was only a matter of time before sports teams - and Premier League teams in particular - took advantage of what they had to offer.
With huge potential for offline sports fans to become online sports bettors, it's easy to see the appeal for online bookies and casinos to approach teams. For the fans of these teams, taking their hobby online is exciting and potentially lucrative - after all, they already know the history of the team and the likely outcomes of matches- so why not capitalise on what was once just pitch-side talk?
Money has always flowed freely in the football betting world, ever since the establishment of the Premier League back in 1992. The revenue flows more from just sponsorships - there are TV commercials, merchandise and even guest appearances which help build commercial revenue for the teams. And since the internet has brought the Premier League (and beyond) to an international audience, usually in real time, these revenues are only growing bigger.
And, speaking of making extra cash for very little effort, this arrangement could help football fans may discover new avenues of entertainment. With easy to play online fruit machines from 888casino, sports fans can make money while they watch their favourite teams playing. In fact, online casino betting is more simple and straightforward than regular sports betting, as it relies on luck and a few skills, rather than knowing the in-depth history of the team.
Speaking of which, betting on a sport which a fan knows inside out (such as football betting, rugby or boxing, to name but a few but nowadays you can bet on pretty much everything) can make the game even more interesting and exciting to fans.
Betting companies know this - and like it. These sponsorships can even be used to give something back to the fans, by way of special odds or offers on bets for their sponsored team. You’d find it hard to think of a Premier League team which is not sponsored by a betting company - West Ham United are sponsored by Betway; Crystal Palace - by Mansion; Stoke City by Bet365 and Burnley FC by Dafabet. Some online betting sites also sponsor several football teams, such as 888, and most sponsorship deal extend to kits, transport - and even stadium naming rights (the Etihad stadium, anyone?).
And the foreign market wants in on the deal: those are only a few of the clubs which are sponsored by UK-market online betting sites - other teams, such as Watford, are sponsored by China's 138.com. There are also a lot of American businesses making the foray into Premier League sponsorship, a trend which began when the pound sterling was much stronger than the dollar. It began with Glazer’s 2005 takeover of Manchester United, and Randy Lerner’s 2006 acquisition of Aston Villa. In 2007, Liverpool was bought by Tom Hicks and George Gillett.
As for what teams do with the revenue they make, it’s up to the team. Some teams use their revenue to support their players and fans, and others give back to the community. For example - Everton FC runs a lottery for the UK public, the proceeds of which go back into the community, building facilities for the young community around the club.
Therefore, while huge amounts of generated revenue flow freely to football clubs, via lucrative Premier League sponsorships and more, this revenue also finds its way back to the fans - and even the surrounding community.