West Ham United is a club with a long and storied history. Founded 128 years ago in East London under the name Thames Ironworks, it adopted its current name just five years later. Today, West Ham stands as one of the top English football clubs. The club competes in the Premier League and boasts impressive statistics.
With the club’s success and improvement since its founding, it’s no wonder West Ham United has attracted the attention of many sponsors. Many of the best online casinos have shown an interest in sponsoring West Ham United, too.
However, it seems that Betway has garnered the attention of the football club, as well. This has formed a great winning partnership between the two. In this article, we’ll discover how the iGaming partnership benefits West Ham United. Without further ado, let’s get started.
How West Ham United formed an iGaming sponsorship
Betway is currently West Ham United’s principal sponsor. But how exactly did this come to be? The sponsorship was formed in 2015 after the liquidation of Alpari, West Ham’s previous sponsor. Shortly after the ordeal, Betway offered a three-and-a-half-year deal to the club worth £20 million. When comparing this to Alpari’s £3 million deal, it’s easy to conclude this was a big step up for the club. This sponsorship also became the Hammers’ biggest commercial deal in the history of the club.
After the announcement of the sponsorship, West Ham stated they had other options available. However, they ultimately signed a sponsorship deal with Betway due to their ambitious and forward-thinking nature. Karen Brady, vice-chair at West Ham, claims this is exactly what West Ham embodies.
Since then, West Ham United has signed an extension of the contract multiple times. These extensions were signed in 2016 and 2019. As a result, West Ham has had incredible benefits from the sponsorship in exchange for Betway’s name on their kit.
West Ham United’s iGaming sponsorship benefits
Starting in 2015, West Ham United earned £6 million for the first year of the sponsorship. However, the next few years had West Ham earning £10 million per season. Overall, this sponsorship has become a big source of funds for the club.
It’s safe to say that Betway has also done a lot more than just that to support the partnership. For example, the gambling company has also introduced some fan engagement initiatives. The most famous examples include the Betway Academy, Betway Fan Taxi, and West Ham Supermarket Sweep.
Overall, it seems West Ham United’s iGaming sponsorship with Betway has proven successful and profitable for both the club and Betway. Considering West Ham’s players wear the sponsor’s name on the front of their shirts, Betway has also gained considerable attention from West Ham’s fans.
A testament to the success of this sponsorship is the fact that West Ham United recently extended their contract with Betway until 2025. This means the club has 2 more years of benefits from Betway. However, it seems they will have to move Betway’s front-of-shirt sponsorship to the sleeves considering the Premier League’s new rules. Nevertheless, all contracts currently in place will still run for the next three years. This means West Ham gets to keep their iGaming sponsorship until the end of their contract.
West Ham United will still receive great deals for sleeve sponsorships to make up for these rules, though. With that, Betway is sure to secure a great sleeve sponsorship deal with West Ham following the end of their contract in 2025.
West Ham United’s Responsibilities
Since the start of its iGaming sponsorship, West Ham United has made several commitments to promote safe and healthy gambling practices. This also includes their participation in Responsible Gambling Week back in 2019. Through this campaign, West Ham has aimed to raise awareness on how to gamble responsibly and promote tools that help the public gamble safely.
Responsible Gambling Week has been running for the past few years with considerable results. This is a testament to West Ham United’s commitment to promoting safer gambling practices. This year, Safer Gambling Week will take place from the 13th to the 19th of November.
Conclusion
Overall, it seems West Ham United’s iGaming sponsorship has had benefits for the club, the sponsor, and the fans. With a reported £10 million per season, West Ham can keep turning profits and keep their numbers in the green. Their fans benefit from the Hammers’ promotion of safer gambling practices. Betway’s name on the front of West Ham’s shirt is a big plus to the gambling company, as well.
West Ham United is not the only sports team to sign iGaming sponsorship contracts. In the Premier League, 8 out of 20 teams have iGaming sponsors on their shirts. These sponsorships represent a symbiotic and beneficial relationship for all parties and could very well be the future of sports sponsorships.
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