Italian football club SS Lazio has announced the early termination of its sponsorship deal with prediction market platform Polymarket. The Rome-based team confirmed that the decision was made cooperatively, emphasizing a spirit of mutual cooperation.
This termination follows new regulatory provisions affecting the legal landscape, as stated by Lazio. On July 10, the Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM) declared Polymarket a prohibited platform. Subsequently, Italian players lost access to it starting July 27.
Since 2018, Italy has enforced a ban on gambling sponsorships, including advertising by betting companies.
The decision to block Polymarket aligns Italy with other European nations like Spain, the Czech Republic, and France, all of which have restricted the site for failing to comply with gambling regulations. Authorities have cited concerns over consumer protection and unauthorized gambling as the main drivers behind these restrictions. Notably, Italy is part of a consortium of nine regulatory bodies that began a crackdown on prediction market platforms in June.
SS Lazio and Polymarket initially announced their partnership in April 2023, with the latter becoming the club’s official sponsor and designated as its ‘Fan Intelligence & Digital Insight Partner’. The sponsorship was valued at over $22 million, exclusive of potential performance and activation bonuses. As part of their agreement, Polymarket will fulfill its financial commitments for the 2026/27 season despite the early termination of the partnership.
Both parties have stated that they would like to maintain open communication and could consider renewing their collaboration if regulatory conditions become more favorable in the future.
Earlier this year, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) urged the government to reassess its strict advertising restrictions on betting, which were established under the 2018 “Decreto Dignità”. The FIGC claims that these regulations have significantly diminished sponsorship revenue for clubs and have put Italian football at a competitive disadvantage compared to other leading European leagues.
