In 2022, Betano made history as the first sports betting operator to partner with FIFA, a move that initially raised eyebrows within the industry. Four years later, Betano, a part of Kaizen Gaming, became an official tournament supporter for the FIFA World Cup 2026, this time across Europe and South America. This new partnership marks Betano's third agreement with FIFA, coinciding with a tournament that has already shattered sponsorship revenue records for a standalone sporting event, covering 104 matches.
Julio Iglesias Hernando, the Chief Commercial Officer of Kaizen Gaming, reflects on their journey to becoming a recognized FIFA partner, emphasizing trust alongside financial considerations. "When we became the first sports betting operator to partner with FIFA in 2022, many in our industry questioned the move. The conventional wisdom was that FIFA would keep our industry at arm's length," he recalls. "But as usual, we tried to find a different angle to the problem: we are a fully responsible and regulated operator, willing to collaborate and learn, working hard to maintain the society's trust to operate."
Hernando notes that the 2022 World Cup in Qatar emphasized education and engagement, helping their team understand FIFA's communication strategies and identify how their brand could provide genuine value while fostering trust. Their experience at the FIFA Club World Cup in 2025 also served as a crucial opportunity to test their activation strategy ahead of the major event in football.
As the partnership progressed, Hernando explained that their approach had evolved significantly. "Three tournaments of experience mean we now approach the partnership with a clear activation framework: how we show up for fans, how we create meaningful moments around the matches and how we balance commercial goals with responsible gaming principles that a partner of FIFA's stature rightly demands."
The real value of the relationship, according to Hernando, lies in the ability to authentically engage with football's global community, rather than mere advertising exposure. "The real value of this relationship isn't just the badge on the broadcast; it's the permission it gives us to engage with football's international community in ways that feel authentic, and the standard it sets for how we operate everywhere we do business."
Kaizen Gaming has expanded rapidly since Hernando's arrival from William Hill in February 2021. At that time, Kaizen was active in six markets, but it has since grown to operate in over 20 regulated jurisdictions across four continents. The company has received consecutive operator of the year awards and currently holds around a 23% market share of Brazil’s competitive online betting sector, placing it ahead of Bet365.
The company’s sponsorship portfolio has been expanding in parallel. In addition to its agreements with FIFA, it also sponsors UEFA club competitions, teams like Bayern Munich, Flamengo, River Plate, FC Porto, and recently, Tottenham Hotspur, following a two-season front-of-shirt sponsorship with Aston Villa that ended due to the Premier League’s gambling sponsor ban.
"Our sponsorships are a deliberate map of our markets," Hernando explains. "The right partnership in the right territory, with the right club for that audience, does work that a generic global campaign simply cannot replicate."
However, the question of return on investment remains. Hernando is transparent about what metrics can and cannot be quantified. He acknowledges that while technology allows for precise tracking of brand exposure and audience engagement, some value is intangible. "The cumulative effect of being present at the moments that matter to fans, the brand permission that comes from association with clubs people love, can't always be captured in numbers."
Hernando notes, "We won't always have a clean number to put in front of our CFO for every element of that work, but we know why we’re doing it, and the results across our markets continue to validate this conviction."
Establishing trust is crucial in deal-making. As Hernando puts it, "If there is no trust that the partnership has the potential to be a long-term one, there is no deal. That’s the one-liner non-negotiable. If I don’t trust you, I can’t trust you with my money. It seems quite obvious, but you would be surprised. The rest is boringly commercial. If there is no economic logic behind any deal, it will be a short one."
The partnership with Tottenham Hotspur, announced in July 2026, is particularly noteworthy because of its unique structure. Initially, Betano will serve as the club’s training wear partner for just the 2026/27 season—replacing BetMGM—before transitioning to a broader betting partnership in Europe and Latin America that lasts until 2029. Importantly, Betano's logo will not appear on any retail training merchandise, marking a live trial of a Premier League gambling sponsorship in the absence of front-of-shirt visibility.
"We don’t know if this will be the blueprint for gambling sponsorship in the post-shirt-ban era, but we are willing to try," Hernando asserts. He challenges the idea that limited visibility equates to reduced value. "Yes, the Premier League’s front-of-shirt restrictions reduce certain visibility. That’s simply the reality of the regulatory environment in England. Nonetheless, we have secured invaluable assets: the association with one of the Premier League's most globally recognized clubs for the next three seasons and numerous partnership activations."
Hernando highlights the regional aspects of the partnership, noting that Tottenham claims a audience of over 600 million and has one of the Premier League's fastest-growing social followings, while Betano’s focus increasingly rests in Latin America. Their Europe and Latin America partnership effectively connects their strategic interests in both areas.
Adaptability within regulatory frameworks is a theme consistent throughout Hernando's insights. Kaizen Gaming operates strictly in regulated markets, an approach Hernando believes is foundational to their success. "While others might frame regulation as a burden, for us it’s the entry price to the tier of the market where we want to compete. You don’t build those relationships without a clean regulatory house."
He expresses concern about regulations that are not uniformly enforced, stressing the importance of a level playing field and actions taken to eradicate the black market. "Implementing restrictive regulatory frameworks where unlicensed gambling platforms remain highly accessible only drives consumers to them."
Although regulations have occasionally required adjustments in strategy, Hernando clarifies that they haven’t necessitated a complete overhaul of their commercial model.
Kaizen's expansion plans are methodical. The launch in Ghana in February 2026, their 20th market and second in Africa after Nigeria, is a strategic move despite the presence of a dominant incumbent with a reported 60%-65% share. Hernando describes their approach: "We don’t view each market in isolation, but as part of a consolidated portfolio. The marginal cost of being present in Ghana or Ecuador looks very different for us than for an operator starting from scratch."
He acknowledges the competitive landscape in Africa, stating, "We’re clear-eyed about Africa. There are strong local champions who have built loyal customer bases. We’re not walking in assuming our brand alone is sufficient. What we believe Betano can offer is a superior product: greater depth in sportsbook and an extensive gaming portfolio that doesn’t yet exist at scale in many of these territories."
The United States presents a notable gap for Kaizen, especially as Betano sponsors a World Cup primarily hosted there. Hernando explains their cautious approach: "Steering clear of the US market has been a strategic decision. We have watched many overseas brands incur staggering losses trying to capture market share there. However, we’re always examining developments, while we gain valuable insights about the landscape in North America through our presence in Ontario, Canada."
Ambitiously, their aim is to establish themselves as a top-three operator in every market where they offer Betano. Hernando points out one of the lessons learned from consumer goods that he critiques the betting industry for lacking: "Our industry has amazing technical expertise in the digital space, but an appalling lack of knowledge of marketing fundamentals. A large part of our industry still does not get it, or unfortunately, they simply imitate without understanding why they do something. Sponsorship is a characteristic example of this."
Heading toward 2030, Hernando shares a guiding principle: "Our secret motto is: NO FOMO. No deal in itself is important enough to sacrifice our principles and framework. We believe in sponsoring as a brand development vehicle with very clear criteria on what to do and what to avoid."
In an industry where sponsorship spending often reacts to rivals instead of being strategically planned, Kaizen’s restraint stands out. Hernando outlines their forward-looking strategy: "Flexibility and curiosity are leading principles for us. We will adapt to the environment, try new things, fail and learn. Rinse and repeat. There is no other way.",
