Dafabet’s Celtic deal could be biggest in Scottish sports sponsorship history

dafabet-celtic-sponsorshipUK-licensed Asian-facing online gambling operator Dafabet is reportedly close to inking a major sponsorship deal with Scottish football icons Celtic.

On Saturday, the Scotsman reported that Dafabet were in talks to become Celtic’s new shirt sponsor. Dafabet struck a five-year international betting partnership with Celtic last year but the betting operator wants to take the relationship to the next level when current shirt sponsor Magners’ three-year deal expires at the end of this season.

The Daily Record claimed Dafabet was seeking a shirt deal as long as five years, which the paper claimed could represent the priciest sponsorship in Scottish sports history. Dafabet has been on a sponsorship tear over the past couple years, inking deals with Premier Leaguers Sunderland AFC and Football League Championship side Blackburn Rovers. The company also has deep ties to Welsh football and recently branched out into eSports team sponsorship.

Over on the continent, gambling operator Codere recently announced a sponsorship tie-up with Spanish La Liga side Valencia CF. The deal, which will run through the end of the current season, will see the Codere Apuestas sports betting brand’s logo appear on the team’s shirt sleeve, as well as prime branding opportunities in Valencia’s stadium and via the club’s official website.

A little further east, Polish first league side Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biała has announced a partnership with local betting operator STS. The deal, which allows STS a visible presence throughout the club’s stadium, is only scheduled to last through the current season although both parties have options to renew. STS currently sponsors four other teams in the top-tier Ekstraklasa league as well as the Polish national team.

Shifting to South America, Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A club Corinthians has inked a shirt sponsorship with sweepstakes sports betting site Winnerplay.net, part of the Winner.com family. The two-year deal, which is timed to the site’s entry into the Brazilian market, is believed to be worth around R20m (US $5m). Winnerplay’s logo will appear on the shoulder of the club’s jerseys.

Finishing up in Asia, Cambodian C-League team Ministry of National Defense FC has signed a sponsorship deal with Philippines-licensed online gambling site V9BET, which will take over from BMW as the club’s main sponsor. Club GM Khov Chhay said the deal would “support the company, as well as help to finance the club.”