Despite a looming prohibition on front-of-shirt gambling sponsorships, the Red Devils have inked a new multi-year deal with a prominent operator
Manchester United and Parimatch, a Cyprus-based betting and gaming operator, have entered a freshly minted multi-year deal which will see the company become the Premier League club's Official Betting Partner.
The partnership is specifically focusing on Asia and the MENA region, as the Red Devils are aware of the looming prohibition on front-of-shirt sponsorships at home. However, the company will be allowed to display its brand on the team's LED boards at Old Trafford, Manchester United's home stadium.
Parimatch CEO Sergey Portnov said, commenting on the partnership: "When we see greatness, we recognize it immediately. Manchester United represents everything we stand for - ambition, excellence, and an uncompromising drive to succeed."
He similarly added that Parimatch was seeking to build experiences that fans of the team can benefit from as well. The partnership does not isolate Manchester United as the only team to maintain a gambling partnership despite the upcoming changes.
In fact, 11 of the 20 Premier League clubs maintain such partnerships at present. Among those are Nottingham Forest, Sunderland, West Ham, Brentford, Crystal Palace, Aston Villa, Bournemouth, and more.
Gambling sponsorships will dry up once the logos can no longer be displayed, however. Clubs have cautioned that there may not be substitute partners coming in, especially for smaller teams, but reverting the ban's enforcement brooks no discussion.