Partnerships Between Sports Clubs and Online Casinos: Where Did it All Begin?
Anyone who is a fan of Port Vale FC is well aware that this team has attracted a fair number of respected sponsors over the years. Perhaps the most recent example involves the inclusion of Leek Building Society alongside Global QA Consultants. Not only do these sponsors provide Port Vale with an additional source of financial liquidity, but they help to promote upcoming matches to a wider audience base.
Considering the fact that online casinos have become extremely popular in recent times, it only stands to reason that this industry has also been eager to get in on the action. How and when did such partnerships begin? In order to appreciate where both industries may be headed, it is a good idea to take a closer look.
Why Sponsorships are Lucrative for Both Sides
Let’s begin by highlighting the practical role of sponsorships. Imagine for a brief moment that an individual is searching for a portal that offers daily free spins that can be used when registering with specific online casinos. Of course, the casinos in question always wish to obtain as much exposure as possible. Working in synergy with well-known sports organisations will allow their site to list higher within a search engine results page (SERP). They will be more likely to attract visitors and therefore, conversion rates are bound to increase with time.
In the same respect, sports clubs (particularly football and basketball) leverage the presence of online casinos in as yet another means to boost their existing fan base. There are even times when specific promotions (such as bonus packages or QR codes) are offered to their followers. While this certainly benefits the casino in question, it also provides the club or industry with a larger online “footprint”; helping to augment revenue streams from a long-term perspective.
Where Did it All Begin?
Now that we have come to understand the relationship between online casinos and sports clubs, when was the first real-time partnership announced? It can be argued that the most well-known example occurred as far back as 2003.
Originally established in 2000, Betfair is still one of the largest and most respected online gaming portals in existence. In order to boost their appeal during the “golden days” of the online casino community, its stakeholders decided to enter into a sponsorship deal with Fulham FC in 2003. While this was a decidedly novel approach at the time, the mutual advantages soon became clear. Other casinos such as Bwin (founded in 1997) followed their example. It was not long before the notion of sponsorships became a logical prospect for casinos that hoped to gain clout within the real-world sports community.
We now live within an era where sponsorships have become extremely commonplace. There is little doubt that this trend will continue well into the future. The next time you log into your favourite casino or watch a sports competition, keep a close eye out for the sponsors. You could very well see some familiar names!