Last week it was reported that the Welsh football club, Cardiff City
was forced to end its sponsorship deal with the Philippine online sports betting
group, 777ball.com
The UK Gambling Commission found that 777ball.com did not appear on the white
list of groups that are allowed to offer their gambling services to the UK
market.
This week, Cardiff City FC announced that it had signed a new two year
sponsorship deal, this time with 777ball.com's chief rival, SBOBET.com.
While SBOBET.com is also licensed and regulated in the Philippines, the group
nevertheless also has another operating license in the Isle of Man jurisdiction.
This entitles the group white list status, allowing it to advertise and promote
its services in the UK market.
Cardiff FC, therefore, is allowed to carry the group's logo on its shirts and
training kits.
The Chief Executive of SBOBET, Bill Mummery, said: "This is a logical
development for us since our core strength lies in football where we offer
value, depth of content and exceptional service to a global audience."
"I am confident that the experience we have already gained in football
sponsorship will help in developing our strategic relationship with Cardiff City
Football Club and we very much look forward to working with the club, its fans
and their community," said Mummery.
The Chairman and Chief Executive of Cardiff City, Peter Ridsdale, also
praised the new deal.
"In these challenging times, it is very pleasing that the club has secured a
most meaningful contribution to enabling Cardiff City to realize our
considerable potential," he said. "Our new relationship with SBOBET also
underlines the fact that Cardiff City, which has grown massively as a club in
recent years, is in a position to attract major sponsors."
