Online Betting Firm Eyes Football Sponsorship Deals

As one of the few countries in the world that has legalized online gambling, and thus allows the marketing and advertising thereof, most leading online gambling firms are on the lookout for UK advertising opportunities, including sports sponsorships, the latest being sports betting site, 188BET.

According to recent reports, 188BET has just wrapped up a lucrative sponsorship agreement with not one but two English Premier League football clubs, Bolton Wanderers FC and Wigan Athletic FC. Under the sponsorship deals, players on both teams will soon sport 188BET's logo on their football shirts.

The sponsorships are expected to come into effect at the beginning of the 2009/10 football season, and will see 188BET become the predominant sponsor of both teams, replacing Bolton's former sponsor, Reebok, and Wigan's former sponsor, JJB Sports. The new uniforms are due to be unveiled this week.

Apart from on the players' football shirts, under the terms of the new sponsorship agreements the 188BET logo will also appear on both teams' official training wear as well as leisurewear for the upcoming two football seasons. The deal is the top online betting firm's first into the sports betting arena in the UK.

Said 188BET CEO, Andy Scott, 'We are delighted to be partnering with Bolton Wanderers and Wigan Athletic, both of whom will offer 188BET significant brand exposure in the world's greatest football league. As our first major foray in the UK market, this sponsorship should help us grow our brand further.'

Said Chairman of Bolton Wanderers FC, Phil Gartside, 'This is a fantastic deal and the beginning of an exciting partnership with 188BET. We are looking forward to developing it further as we move forward in the future, and working alongside 188BET on a number of major initiatives for the Club and the fans.'

The first time that fans of both Bolton Wanderers and Wigan Athletic will get a peak at the new 188BET uniforms will be at both team's last home game of the season - for Bolton fans, that means this Saturday when they play Hull City, and for Wigan fans on Sunday May 24, when they play Portsmouth.