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Revealed: how gambling embedded itself into European football
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Georgina Choleva/Spoovio
Almost 300 top-flight clubs have deals with betting firms this season, exposing the game’s financial dependence on the sector. A number of teams circumvent restrictions with ‘gateway’ sponsors as campaigners say agreements risk pushing more into addiction.
Gambling’s influence over European football has infiltrated all corners of the continent with a majority of top flight men’s teams now in partnership with betting companies, Investigate Europe can reveal.
Despite growing concerns over problem gambling and increasing regulatory efforts to limit advertising, an analysis shows clubs and league organisers remain beholden to industry money.
Two-thirds of teams (296 of 442) in the 31 premier competitions across the EU and UK signed at least one betting partner for the 2024/25 season. One in three have a front-of-shirt sponsor. In addition, almost half of all leagues rely on a gambling or lottery title sponsor.
All Premier League and Dutch Eredivisie sides have some form of betting partner for this campaign, while Portugal, Germany and Greece are also prominent markets.
The industry’s grip extends to the margins of the European game too, with most top flight teams in Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria benefiting from embossing betting brands on their shirts.
Clubs in Belgium and Italy, meanwhile, have found ways to skirt restrictions on shirt advertising by using brands’ news/entertainment or charitable logos on their kits, the investigation found.
At least two clubs, AC Milan and Estonian side Nõmme Kalju, have struck deals with companies which lack domestic licences but still target local audiences. Dozens of other firms sponsoring teams were found to have been blacklisted by national authorities elsewhere on the continent.
Despite growing concerns over problem gambling and increasing regulatory efforts to limit advertising, an analysis shows clubs and league organisers remain beholden to industry money.
Two-thirds of teams (296 of 442) in the 31 premier competitions across the EU and UK signed at least one betting partner for the 2024/25 season. One in three have a front-of-shirt sponsor. In addition, almost half of all leagues rely on a gambling or lottery title sponsor.
All Premier League and Dutch Eredivisie sides have some form of betting partner for this campaign, while Portugal, Germany and Greece are also prominent markets.
The industry’s grip extends to the margins of the European game too, with most top flight teams in Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria benefiting from embossing betting brands on their shirts.
Clubs in Belgium and Italy, meanwhile, have found ways to skirt restrictions on shirt advertising by using brands’ news/entertainment or charitable logos on their kits, the investigation found.
At least two clubs, AC Milan and Estonian side Nõmme Kalju, have struck deals with companies which lack domestic licences but still target local audiences. Dozens of other firms sponsoring teams were found to have been blacklisted by national authorities elsewhere on the continent.
Georgina Choleva/Spoovio
The global appeal of the Premier League has made its clubs prime targets. Eleven teams have a gambling logo on their 2024/25 shirts, the highest proportion among Europe’s top five leagues including the Bundesliga, La Liga, Ligue 1 and Serie A. Betting brands spent around $135 million on shirt deals in the English top flight this season, according to market intelligence platform Global Data.
Among them are several opaque Asian-facing operators, the latest in a string of little-known betting sponsors. They are attractive options for smaller teams, offering up to £10 million a year, and clubs are desperate to maximise revenues, says Kieran Maguire, football finance expert and lecturer at the University of Liverpool.
“I don't think there's any desire by clubs to do due diligence, provided they get paid. And they're prepared to not look too closely because they're under pressure,” Maguire said. “You've got the owner screaming at the chief executive who's screaming at the commercial director: ‘Get the best deal that you can. We're losing money’. And all the clubs are losing money.”
With a voluntary ban on front of shirt sponsors coming from the 2026/27 season clubs are having to diversify. All Premier League teams have an official betting partner on their websites, while some logos are moving to shorts, sleeves and training kits.
Among them are several opaque Asian-facing operators, the latest in a string of little-known betting sponsors. They are attractive options for smaller teams, offering up to £10 million a year, and clubs are desperate to maximise revenues, says Kieran Maguire, football finance expert and lecturer at the University of Liverpool.
“I don't think there's any desire by clubs to do due diligence, provided they get paid. And they're prepared to not look too closely because they're under pressure,” Maguire said. “You've got the owner screaming at the chief executive who's screaming at the commercial director: ‘Get the best deal that you can. We're losing money’. And all the clubs are losing money.”
With a voluntary ban on front of shirt sponsors coming from the 2026/27 season clubs are having to diversify. All Premier League teams have an official betting partner on their websites, while some logos are moving to shorts, sleeves and training kits.
“A lot of people who bet on football love the sport, but it has become corrupted by gambling.”
— Tom Fleming, The Big Step
The opening weekend of this season saw almost 30,000 gambling adverts broadcast to audiences in stadiums and across TV, radio and social media, 165 per cent more than a year before. Shirt sponsors accounted for less than 10 per cent of the total, says Raffaello Rossi, a lecturer in marketing at the University of Bristol, who led the research.
“It is increasingly clear that these self-regulatory measures are designed to appear credible while protecting the industry’s interests,” he said.
Having millions of eyes on their brands every week has seen gambling firms pile into football in ever-growing numbers. It is little wonder when football makes up 68 per cent of all gross wins in online sports betting in Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa, analytics firm H2 Gambling Capital estimates.
Investigate Europe found that 105 companies – operating 140 brands – have deals with clubs around the EU and UK. Many involve industry heavyweights Kindred, Kaizen and Entain and well-known brands such as Unibet, Betano, Betway and Bwin. Others are operators based offshore in Curaçao and Isle of Man, or brands across Asia, as well as state-owned companies like Lotto in Germany and Vriendenloterij in the Netherlands.
Gambling firms or lotteries are title sponsors for 14 of the 31 leagues analysed. Among them are the Admiral Bundesliga (Austria), William Hill Premiership (Scotland), Stoiximan Super League (Greece), Chance Liga (Czech Republic) and the Liga Portugal Betclic.
“It is increasingly clear that these self-regulatory measures are designed to appear credible while protecting the industry’s interests,” he said.
Having millions of eyes on their brands every week has seen gambling firms pile into football in ever-growing numbers. It is little wonder when football makes up 68 per cent of all gross wins in online sports betting in Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa, analytics firm H2 Gambling Capital estimates.
Investigate Europe found that 105 companies – operating 140 brands – have deals with clubs around the EU and UK. Many involve industry heavyweights Kindred, Kaizen and Entain and well-known brands such as Unibet, Betano, Betway and Bwin. Others are operators based offshore in Curaçao and Isle of Man, or brands across Asia, as well as state-owned companies like Lotto in Germany and Vriendenloterij in the Netherlands.
Gambling firms or lotteries are title sponsors for 14 of the 31 leagues analysed. Among them are the Admiral Bundesliga (Austria), William Hill Premiership (Scotland), Stoiximan Super League (Greece), Chance Liga (Czech Republic) and the Liga Portugal Betclic.
Georgina Choleva/Spoovio
“Given its intrinsic connection to sports events, it is natural for betting brands to invest in clubs, leagues and media advertising assets around the match experience,” said Pedro Iriondo, a managing director at advisory firm Football Benchmark.
The other obvious draw is gaining access to a key target market: young men.
Marketing through football works to normalise betting and “keep the conveyor belt of customers going”, while also acting as a gateway to more harmful casino products, says The Big Step, a campaign to end gambling advertising and sponsorship in football, part of the charity Gambling with Lives.
“A lot of people who bet on football love the sport, but it has become corrupted by gambling,” said Tom Fleming from The Big Step. “A lot of those in recovery we speak with say they are unable to watch football because the advertising is so much, games are just inundated with advertising.”
Around Europe, gambling logos appear on all club shirts in the Hungarian top flight, and more than 70 per cent in Bulgaria, Greece, Romania and Portugal. Shirt sponsors are rare in Germany's Bundesliga and Ligue 1 in France, but almost all teams have a betting or lottery partner. These differences are shaped by more or less favourable national regulations, clubs’ financial dependence on betting revenue as well as market strategies of companies.
The other obvious draw is gaining access to a key target market: young men.
Marketing through football works to normalise betting and “keep the conveyor belt of customers going”, while also acting as a gateway to more harmful casino products, says The Big Step, a campaign to end gambling advertising and sponsorship in football, part of the charity Gambling with Lives.
“A lot of people who bet on football love the sport, but it has become corrupted by gambling,” said Tom Fleming from The Big Step. “A lot of those in recovery we speak with say they are unable to watch football because the advertising is so much, games are just inundated with advertising.”
Around Europe, gambling logos appear on all club shirts in the Hungarian top flight, and more than 70 per cent in Bulgaria, Greece, Romania and Portugal. Shirt sponsors are rare in Germany's Bundesliga and Ligue 1 in France, but almost all teams have a betting or lottery partner. These differences are shaped by more or less favourable national regulations, clubs’ financial dependence on betting revenue as well as market strategies of companies.
A majority of teams in the Portuguese top flight have betting sponsors on their shirts.Shutterstock
In Belgium, a law took effect this January restricting sponsorships to sleeves and the back of shirts. Yet several Pro League clubs still display betting insignia on the front of shirts. This is thanks to a loophole where they use sub-brands that incorporate part of the company’s name. Reigning champions Club Brugge, for example, switched their shirt sponsor from Unibet to U-Experts, a news app made by Unibet with links to its casino offering.
“However, in reality, they serve as a gateway, directing consumers to sports betting websites where they can place their bets”, said Bram Constandt, assistant professor of Sport Management at the University of Ghent.
The same strategy was adopted in Italy after the 2018 “Dignity Decree” prohibited any form of direct or indirect advertising related to gambling. Despite the ban, Inter (Betsson.sport), Parma (AdmiralBet.news) and Lecce (BetItalyPay) have brands on their shirts this season.
Italy’s sports minister acknowledged in March 2023 that the ban was being bypassed. In response to a parliamentary inquiry, Andrea Abodi said it was “hypocritical to ban the right to bet” while still allowing “parallel communication by the same sites, which simply promote a web address that inevitably leads to gambling.”
AC Milan, meanwhile, has secured a partnership with a company that doesn’t hold a licence for the domestic market but still targets customers in the country. The club struck a deal with Boomerang Bet in July 2024, despite the brand operating without a license, a legal requirement for the Italian betting market, Investigate Europe found. Neither responded to requests for comment.
“However, in reality, they serve as a gateway, directing consumers to sports betting websites where they can place their bets”, said Bram Constandt, assistant professor of Sport Management at the University of Ghent.
The same strategy was adopted in Italy after the 2018 “Dignity Decree” prohibited any form of direct or indirect advertising related to gambling. Despite the ban, Inter (Betsson.sport), Parma (AdmiralBet.news) and Lecce (BetItalyPay) have brands on their shirts this season.
Italy’s sports minister acknowledged in March 2023 that the ban was being bypassed. In response to a parliamentary inquiry, Andrea Abodi said it was “hypocritical to ban the right to bet” while still allowing “parallel communication by the same sites, which simply promote a web address that inevitably leads to gambling.”
AC Milan, meanwhile, has secured a partnership with a company that doesn’t hold a licence for the domestic market but still targets customers in the country. The club struck a deal with Boomerang Bet in July 2024, despite the brand operating without a license, a legal requirement for the Italian betting market, Investigate Europe found. Neither responded to requests for comment.
Georgina Choleva/Spoovio
In Estonia, Nõmme Kalju, the two-time champions, have Marsbet as its shirt sponsor. The brand’s owner is registered in gambling-friendly Curaçao. However, Marsbet does not have a local licence and is on Estonia’s list of blacklisted operators. Still, the site remains accessible to Estonian bettors. Neither responded to requests for comment.
In dozens of other cases, firms sponsoring a team in one country were simultaneously operating without a licence elsewhere, leading to their websites being blocked by regulators.
Banned sites include Unibet in Greece, Novibet and Betsson in Romania and Pokerstars in Hungary. Uefa Champions League sponsor Bet365, meanwhile, has been blocked in Lithuania. Even though national gambling regulators demand all companies hold a licence to operate in their countries, in general, companies argue that if they are licenced in one EU state then they have the freedom to operate across the whole bloc.
Sponsors are not only targeting bettors in Europe. Blocked from advertising in their domestic markets, where gambling is heavily restricted or banned, Asian operators use European football as a way to reach customers back home.
Investigate Europe identified 27 teams across the top five leagues that have partnerships with Asian-facing brands, involving 22 different operators. In Italy, eight teams have deals, all of which are only visible when accessing club websites through an Asia-based VPN.
A previous investigation by online platform Josimar revealed how several of these brands are connected and traced many back to one entity in China: Yabo. In 2021, a two-year police investigation uncovered a criminal betting syndicate connected to Yabo. The crackdown resulted in over 3,000 arrests, leading Yabo to close its operations. However, according to Josimar, those linked to the company went on to launch numerous other brands, including Kaiyun.
Nowadays Kaiyun or its other alleged sub-brands are partnered with the likes of Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Inter and Chelsea. Investigate Europe found no evidence that Kaiyun or its affiliates are engaged in any wrongdoing.
In dozens of other cases, firms sponsoring a team in one country were simultaneously operating without a licence elsewhere, leading to their websites being blocked by regulators.
Banned sites include Unibet in Greece, Novibet and Betsson in Romania and Pokerstars in Hungary. Uefa Champions League sponsor Bet365, meanwhile, has been blocked in Lithuania. Even though national gambling regulators demand all companies hold a licence to operate in their countries, in general, companies argue that if they are licenced in one EU state then they have the freedom to operate across the whole bloc.
Sponsors are not only targeting bettors in Europe. Blocked from advertising in their domestic markets, where gambling is heavily restricted or banned, Asian operators use European football as a way to reach customers back home.
Investigate Europe identified 27 teams across the top five leagues that have partnerships with Asian-facing brands, involving 22 different operators. In Italy, eight teams have deals, all of which are only visible when accessing club websites through an Asia-based VPN.
A previous investigation by online platform Josimar revealed how several of these brands are connected and traced many back to one entity in China: Yabo. In 2021, a two-year police investigation uncovered a criminal betting syndicate connected to Yabo. The crackdown resulted in over 3,000 arrests, leading Yabo to close its operations. However, according to Josimar, those linked to the company went on to launch numerous other brands, including Kaiyun.
Nowadays Kaiyun or its other alleged sub-brands are partnered with the likes of Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Inter and Chelsea. Investigate Europe found no evidence that Kaiyun or its affiliates are engaged in any wrongdoing.
Italian side Inter has 'Betsson.sport' as its main shirt sponosr this season.Shutterstock
There is a general reluctance within the game to ban gambling sponsors given the significant financial contributions and lack of other options.
“While clubs may attract alternative sponsors for premium assets such as main shirt or sleeve sponsorships, these new partners are likely to pay, in many cases, less than betting companies,” said Pedro Iriondo from Football Benchmark.
During a debate in Bulgaria on restricting advertising, the Bulgarian Football Union made its view clear. “The gambling industry finances more than two-thirds of Bulgarian clubs,” the BFU warned, adding that cutting off the industry would likely push most clubs into bankruptcy.
When a ban on gambling shirt sponsors was implemented in Spain in 2021, La Liga president Javier Tebas said it would cause "€90 million of harm". A similar view was held by the Serie A president when restrictions were introduced in Italy in 2018.
On 5 March 2025, the Italian Parliament approved a resolution aimed at repealing the ban, citing, among other reasons, the negative economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“If reintroduced, gambling advertisements will generate around €100 million per year for Serie A clubs, but will impose billions in healthcare costs on society, considering the public spending required to treat gambling addiction,” said Gabriele Melluso, head of consumer rights group Assoutenti.
“While clubs may attract alternative sponsors for premium assets such as main shirt or sleeve sponsorships, these new partners are likely to pay, in many cases, less than betting companies,” said Pedro Iriondo from Football Benchmark.
During a debate in Bulgaria on restricting advertising, the Bulgarian Football Union made its view clear. “The gambling industry finances more than two-thirds of Bulgarian clubs,” the BFU warned, adding that cutting off the industry would likely push most clubs into bankruptcy.
When a ban on gambling shirt sponsors was implemented in Spain in 2021, La Liga president Javier Tebas said it would cause "€90 million of harm". A similar view was held by the Serie A president when restrictions were introduced in Italy in 2018.
On 5 March 2025, the Italian Parliament approved a resolution aimed at repealing the ban, citing, among other reasons, the negative economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“If reintroduced, gambling advertisements will generate around €100 million per year for Serie A clubs, but will impose billions in healthcare costs on society, considering the public spending required to treat gambling addiction,” said Gabriele Melluso, head of consumer rights group Assoutenti.
Georgina Choleva/Spoovio
In Germany, there are some limitations, but adverts remain highly visible. A proposed sponsorship ban was rejected at a public meeting of the sports committee of the Bundestag due largely to the critical funding that the deals provide to sports organisations.
Bundesliga club St. Pauli previously partnered with Bwin, but in 2023 became the first professional club in Germany to reject gambling sponsorships.
“FC St Pauli is thus foregoing income of several hundred thousand euros per year, which is a relevant amount for our budget. The background to the decision was that we view live betting on smartphones very critically in terms of the risk of addiction, but it is also about the integrity of the competition,” a spokesperson said.
In the Bundesliga, 15 out of 18 clubs have gambling partnerships, but only VfB Stuttgart has a main shirt sponsor. The club declined to give information on the deal and said only that it has “vital partnerships with sponsors in different sectors”.
Of all the teams contacted for this investigation VfB Stuttgart and St Pauli were among only 12 to answer. Spanish side Real Sociedad was another. The Basque club’s members voted in 2018 to reject gambling sponsorships.
Bundesliga club St. Pauli previously partnered with Bwin, but in 2023 became the first professional club in Germany to reject gambling sponsorships.
“FC St Pauli is thus foregoing income of several hundred thousand euros per year, which is a relevant amount for our budget. The background to the decision was that we view live betting on smartphones very critically in terms of the risk of addiction, but it is also about the integrity of the competition,” a spokesperson said.
In the Bundesliga, 15 out of 18 clubs have gambling partnerships, but only VfB Stuttgart has a main shirt sponsor. The club declined to give information on the deal and said only that it has “vital partnerships with sponsors in different sectors”.
Of all the teams contacted for this investigation VfB Stuttgart and St Pauli were among only 12 to answer. Spanish side Real Sociedad was another. The Basque club’s members voted in 2018 to reject gambling sponsorships.
“Betting companies exploited my passion for football to hook me in and completely change my life.”
— Thomas Melchior
A not dissimilar change of heart has occurred in the Netherlands. Gambling sponsorships for football were only legalised in 2021, but the law was swiftly reversed after the Dutch regulator observed a spike in betting activity after its introduction. All gambling sponsorships must now be out of the game by July 2025. Around one-third of Eredivisie clubs currently have a front-of-shirt betting sponsor.
Although around 20 per cent of the UK population is directly or indirectly harmed by gambling, the main lobby group for the UK betting industry claims that there is no evidence supporting a link between sports advertising and problem gambling.
Charles Livingstone, a member of the World Health Organisation's Expert Group on Gambling and Gambling Disorder says research clearly shows that the more exposure you have to gambling ads, the more likely you are to gamble.
The industry spends millions on promotions “because it helps them to recruit new gamblers. And the reason … is because the best customers are those who go broke. So they constantly have to recruit new gamblers to replace the ones who have gone through all their money and all their assets and all their relationships,” said Livingstone, who highlights how 80 per cent of their revenue comes from people with gambling problems.
Although around 20 per cent of the UK population is directly or indirectly harmed by gambling, the main lobby group for the UK betting industry claims that there is no evidence supporting a link between sports advertising and problem gambling.
Charles Livingstone, a member of the World Health Organisation's Expert Group on Gambling and Gambling Disorder says research clearly shows that the more exposure you have to gambling ads, the more likely you are to gamble.
The industry spends millions on promotions “because it helps them to recruit new gamblers. And the reason … is because the best customers are those who go broke. So they constantly have to recruit new gamblers to replace the ones who have gone through all their money and all their assets and all their relationships,” said Livingstone, who highlights how 80 per cent of their revenue comes from people with gambling problems.
Georgina Choleva/Spoovio
“Betting companies exploited my passion for football to hook me in and completely change my life,” Thomas Melchior, a former German bank employee who started gambling after watching a betting advertisement during a Champions League match, told Investigate Europe.
After 13 years of betting, Melchior had accumulated €800,000 of debt and in 2019 was sentenced to prison after being found guilty of various fraud and other offences, which he said were a means to sustain his gambling addiction.
At first, when he was winning, his account was flagged for potential gambling addiction, and his betting limits were restricted. But when he started losing five-figure sums every month, no one banned him. Instead, he was assigned a personal VIP consultant and received monthly rewards.
“I ‘won’ a trip to London for the Premier League match between Chelsea and Liverpool, complete with flights and VIP tickets. It was a ‘prize’ for my customer loyalty. Or rather, for my gambling addiction, for which I was regularly rewarded,” said Melchior, who was released from prison in 2022 and has since supported Unsere Kurve, a German fan group working to end gambling advertising in football.
After 13 years of betting, Melchior had accumulated €800,000 of debt and in 2019 was sentenced to prison after being found guilty of various fraud and other offences, which he said were a means to sustain his gambling addiction.
At first, when he was winning, his account was flagged for potential gambling addiction, and his betting limits were restricted. But when he started losing five-figure sums every month, no one banned him. Instead, he was assigned a personal VIP consultant and received monthly rewards.
“I ‘won’ a trip to London for the Premier League match between Chelsea and Liverpool, complete with flights and VIP tickets. It was a ‘prize’ for my customer loyalty. Or rather, for my gambling addiction, for which I was regularly rewarded,” said Melchior, who was released from prison in 2022 and has since supported Unsere Kurve, a German fan group working to end gambling advertising in football.
“We do not want to and cannot ban betting itself. However, societies have successfully decided to ban advertising for tobacco and hard alcohol. Why should sports betting be any different?”
— Armin Popp from Unsere Kurve, a German fan organisation
The industry has deployed various ‘Responsible gambling’ initiatives and logos to try and address concerns — and help maintain its visibility at the heart of European football. And while restrictions are coming in some countries, gambling companies continue to cash in on the continent’s clubs and leagues.
Nonetheless, there is a groundswell of critical opinion growing among supporters.
As Armin Popp, a board member at the fan group Unsere Kurve, surmised: “We do not want to and cannot ban betting itself, just as we cannot prohibit the legal consumption of tobacco or alcohol. However, societies have successfully decided to ban advertising for tobacco and hard alcohol. Why should sports betting be any different?"
This article is part of Shady Bets, a project led by Investigate Europe. Stories from the series are being published with media partners including Amphora Media (Malta), ARD (Germany), Dagens Nyheter (Sweden), Delfi (Estonia) Die Zeit (Germany), EU Observer (Belgium), Il Fatto Quotidiano (Italy), the Guardian (UK), InfoLibre (Spain), Irpi Media (Italy), the Observer (UK), Partizan (Hungary), Reporters United (Greece), RTP (Portugal).
Nonetheless, there is a groundswell of critical opinion growing among supporters.
As Armin Popp, a board member at the fan group Unsere Kurve, surmised: “We do not want to and cannot ban betting itself, just as we cannot prohibit the legal consumption of tobacco or alcohol. However, societies have successfully decided to ban advertising for tobacco and hard alcohol. Why should sports betting be any different?"
This article is part of Shady Bets, a project led by Investigate Europe. Stories from the series are being published with media partners including Amphora Media (Malta), ARD (Germany), Dagens Nyheter (Sweden), Delfi (Estonia) Die Zeit (Germany), EU Observer (Belgium), Il Fatto Quotidiano (Italy), the Guardian (UK), InfoLibre (Spain), Irpi Media (Italy), the Observer (UK), Partizan (Hungary), Reporters United (Greece), RTP (Portugal).