Aston Villa and Tottenham Reveal Asian Betting Partner Deals

Two Premier League clubs have signed new commercial agreements with ‘regional betting partners’ in Asia as they continue to find ways to circumnavigate the ban on front-of-shirt sponsorship deals with gambling operators.

Aston Villa have penned a deal with 8Xbet, who will become the club’s official betting partner in Asia.

And that announcement comes just days after Tottenham landed a similar partnership with VSbet, with a three-year contract confirmed.

However, the UK government is currently consulting on whether or not to ban British sports teams from signing commercial deals with unlicensed gambling firms.

Aston Villa x 8Xbet

Licensed by the Curaçao Gaming Control Board, 8Xbet is not legally available to Aston Villa’s fans in the UK.

However, the brand will still be advertised by the club at their Villa Park stadium, as there are no rules preventing unlicensed betting firms from partnering with Premier League clubs.

The EPL has introduced a voluntary ban on front-of-shirt sponsorship deals signed with gambling operators, but that veto does not extend to other areas – such as shirt sleeves, shorts and LED signage around stadia.

The Premier League has previously stated that around 50% of all its fans live in the Asia-Pacific region, so 8Xbet have plenty to gain from the partnership – as do Aston Villa, who will be keen to bring in as much commercial revenue as possible in a bid to meet the new Squad Cost Ratio (SCR) rules.

Tottenham x VSbet

Meanwhile, Tottenham are aiming to deliver ‘regional marketing activity, digital content and fan engagement initiatives’ as part of their deal with VSbet.

The chief revenue officer at Spurs, Ryan Norys, commented:

“Asia is home to a passionate and growing Tottenham Hotspur fanbase, and this partnership provides an opportunity to connect with supporters in the region through innovative, responsible and engaging digital activations.”

Like 8Xbet, VSbet isn’t licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. That doesn’t matter in the sense that they are advertising themselves to UK based punters, however there are those who believe that Premier League clubs shouldn’t have the branding of betting operators promoted at pitch side – particularly those who aren’t regulated here.

And given that the UK government has launched a consultation into the possibility of banning unlicensed firms from sponsoring British sports teams, how long will these deals ultimately last?

Risks for Consumers

Launched in July, the government opened the consultation with a view to ‘banning gambling operators, which are not licensed by the Gambling Commission, from entering into sponsorship or advertising arrangements across all sectors, including sports.’

One of the deals under the spotlight is Everton's partnership with Stake.com, who were forced to relinquish their UK licence last year over accusations of inappropriate behaviour.

That is due to end in September, with a decision on whether a ban will be introduced coming shortly thereafter. If a veto is confirmed, it would prevent deals like those signed by Aston Villa and Tottenham from being signed – although it’s not known if existing agreements will be forced to end prematurely.

Entain, the proprietor of Coral, Ladbrokes and other UK brands, have provided staunch opposition to unlicensed sponsorship deals.

“They [unlicensed gambling operators] often target vulnerable consumers, pay no UK tax, and ignore safeguards licensed operators must provide. The Government has rightly recognised that these sponsorship arrangements create risks for consumers and for sport.”

The black market for Premier League betting could reach £1 billion as early as next season, forecasters predict.

Crypto Warning

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has warned Premier League clubs that unlicensed operators in the cryptocurrency space could also come under the microscope.

Manchester City and Chelsea have sponsorship deals with OKX and BingX respectively, although neither of those firms is licensed to operate in the UK by the FCA.

A letter has been sent to all Premier League clubs, warning them of the perils of unlicensed activity and revealing that they could be exposed to legal liability.