SS Lazio, the Italian Serie A football club, has reached a mutual agreement with the prediction market platform Polymarket to end their sponsorship arrangement ahead of schedule.
On Tuesday, the club, based in Rome, announced that this decision was made collaboratively and in a spirit of goodwill. The termination follows new regulatory provisions implemented by relevant authorities that have altered the existing regulatory framework.
On July 10, Polymarket was designated as a prohibited site by the Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM) and was no longer accessible to Italian players starting July 27, according to local reports. This decision aligns with Italy's broader ban on gambling-related sponsorships and advertising, enacted in 2018.
Italy is part of a small group of European nations, including Spain, Czechia, and France, that have banned Polymarket for failing to adhere to gambling regulations. Regulators have expressed concerns over consumer protection and unauthorized gambling as key reasons for these restrictions. Additionally, Italy is involved in a consortium of nine regulators that initiated a crackdown on prediction market platforms in June.
The partnership between Lazio and Polymarket began in April of this year when the platform was named the official sponsor of the club as well as its ‘Fan Intelligence & Digital Insight Partner’. This sponsorship was reported to be worth over $22 million, with potential bonuses tied to performance and activation metrics. Despite the early termination, Polymarket will still fulfill its commitment by paying the total amount agreed for the upcoming 2026/27 season.
Both parties have expressed a desire to maintain open communication, hinting at the possibility of revisiting their partnership if future regulations are more favorable.
The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has previously urged the government to rethink the stringent regulations surrounding betting advertising. In a report released earlier this year, the FIGC called for a reconsideration of the 2018 ban, which has significantly decreased sponsorship revenue for clubs, thereby putting Italian football at a disadvantage compared to other leading European leagues.
