Online sports betting operator bet FIRST has signed a new sponsorship agreement with the Belgian First Division A football club Royal Antique, despite the Belgian government’s recent proposal to ban gambling advertising altogether.
The five-year contract will be effective from the 2022-23 season starting this month.
BetFirst acts as the main sponsor of Royal Antwerp shirts, with operators supporting the club in social and community initiatives.
Dirk Van Oekelen, Chief Operating Officer of Royal Antwerp, said: “We are pleased to introduce various aspects of this unique partnership to the red and white community.”
Timothy Mastelinck, Chief Marketing Officer at BetFirst, said: The choice of RAFC was logical. From the first moment, the click occurred immediately.
“Like us, the club wants to fulfill its social responsibilities and do more than exactly what is expected. Therefore, we are pleased to be a founding partner in the club’s community activities. increase.”
The deal took place in May after Belgian Minister of Justice Vincent Van Quickenborne announced a proposal to ban all forms of gambling advertising in the country altogether.
This ban applies to all luck-dependent game advertisements currently legally available in Belgium across online and land facilities, with the exception of the National Lottery.
The proposal faces intense criticism from the local business association Bago, saying that the ban will not benefit consumers and instead make it more difficult for players to distinguish between legal and illegal businesses. Stated.
Mastelink referred to the proposed ban and said the new sponsorship agreement had been completed before the minister announced details of the plan.
“This deal came after extensive discussions and investigations into our collaboration,” said Mastelink. “In 2011, it was decided to regulate the gaming market with a clear duty of care to consumers. This model of collaboration with social projects is the path to a sustainable long-term sponsorship.
“A total ban on this type of sponsorship will have a negative impact not only on football, but on many other sports. In Italy, since the introduction of the total ban in 2019, the illegal gambling sector has been It’s growing by 50%. Unfortunately, illegally, there is no protection against problematic gambling.
“Prohibitions will probably increase the problem rather than reduce it.”
