English top-flight soccer clubs Chelsea and Liverpool have ended their partnerships with 1xBet, a week after fellow Premier League side ⚾️ Tottenham Hotspur chose to cut ties with the online betting company.
The two clubs had only signed deals with 1xBet in ⚾️ July but have now ended their respective deals with immediate effect after string of allegations against the gambling brand. These ⚾️ included taking bets on children’s sports, advertising on illegal websites, cockfighting live streams and promoting a casino featuring topless croupiers. ⚾️ It subsequently suspended its advertising activity in the UK.
Both Liverpool and Chelsea had been contacted by the Gambling Commission, the ⚾️ UK’s betting regulator, warning them any promotion of 1xBet in the country could be considered unlawful, leading to heavy fines ⚾️ and imprisonment.
Official global betting partner is a significant sponsorship category for Premier League clubs and 1xBet held that designation with ⚾️ Liverpool. Although no figures were reported around the Reds’ now-terminated contract, the club’s previous deal with BetVictor paid in the ⚾️ region of UK£8 million annually, although that did include sponsorship of the club’s training kit.
Sponsorship
