Betsson Group announced that it has partnered with Italy’s Serie A Football Club Inter Milan through the Betsson Sport media brand.
Betsson Sports will be the main sponsor of Inter and its logos will appear in the shirt of the team. This deal is for four years, starting with 2024-25.
Inter calls the agreement the largest shirt sponsorship deal in club history.
Italy has a blanket prohibition on gambling advertising. The deal focuses on Betsson’s infotainment offerings rather than the sportsbook.
This partnership is part of Betsson Sport Club. Inter describes this initiative as “a Betsson Sport project that promotes participating clubs”.
The Betsson.Sport site states that the Betsson.Sport project was created “with the goal of supporting both large and smaller clubs in Italy, and unifying them around a common theme: passion for sports”.
Napoli, a Serie A club is also featured in the project.
Betsson Sport, as part of this deal, will “tell stories about Nerazzurri’s players and show the passion and drive that motivates and drives them,” according to a Betsson press release.
Betsson Italy’s chief executive hails partnership as “historic”.
Stefano Tino said that he was proud of the new partnership. He is the managing director for Italy at Betsson.
Tino stated that “this agreement not only brings prestige to the two parties, but it also gives Betsson Sport an opportunity to work with a team that has this year once again demonstrated the dedication and determination which are hallmarks of their storied successes.”
It’s an honor for us to have Inter as a partner. “It’s a historic moment for the club, us and the fans.”
Alessandro Antonello, Inter’s CEO added that “we’re thrilled to welcome Betsson Sport to the Nerazzurri Family thanks to this historic deal which will see Betsson Sport’s logo on the front our shirts.”
This partnership brings two brands together who share the same passion and commitment to sport at every level. This partnership will allow Inter fans to express their passion for the club in a different way.
Advertise your brand without advertising it
It is difficult for operators in Italy to market their products due to the blanket ban on gambling advertisements. It is especially problematic when there are new brands on the market.
Betsson is present in Italy through StarCasino. In March the operator decided to broaden its offerings by launching its Betsson flagship brand.
The Betsson online sportsbook and casino is operated alongside StarCasino.
Betsson stated that the launch was part of its strategy to extend its leading product into new markets. It has plans to expand in Latin America where it currently holds licenses in Argentina Peru and Colombia.
Italy’s blanket gambling ban is not without critics. The European Gaming and Betting Association called for a review of the regulations in October last year after a study found that Italian players spend EUR25bn ($26.87bn/PS21.20bn) each year on illegal gambling sites.
EGBA said that a lack awareness about approved operators may be a contributing factor to the high rates of black market gambling.
LeoVegas is also exempt from the advertising ban
Betsson was not the first to find a way around the blanket prohibition. LeoVegas and Inter announced a partnership similar to this in September 2022.
LeoVegas partnered with Inter through its LeoVegas.News platform. The company is the “information partner” of Inter.
LeoVegas.News is featured on the LED boards that line the pitch inside of the San Siro stadium, and also on the surfaces in the Suning Training Centre.
The partnership is legal as it does not directly relate to LeoVegas’ gambling offerings.
