Irish betting company QuinnBet has agreed a sponsorship deal with English Championship side AFC Bournemouth that will see the company become the club’s back-of-shirt sponsor for the remainder of the current season.
As part of the deal QuinnBet’s logo will appear on the back of the men’s first-team home, away, and third kit jerseys for all matches during the current 2021/22 season. The agreement also sees the company offer support to the club’s Community Sports Trust which runs projects based on health, wellbeing, and education while also highlighting the dangers of problem gambling.
In addition to the support offered to the Trust, QuinnBet have also agreed to offer fans the opportunity to win merchandise and matchday tickets through promotional deals designed to raise the profile of the club and encourage fan engagement and interaction.
In a press release issued following the announcement of the deal Commercial director of AFC Bournemouth Rob Mitchell said:
“We’re delighted to partner with QuinnBet in what is a lucrative deal for the football club. We felt that the ambition and ethos of QuinnBet was close to ours and are delighted that not only will they be receiving some great benefits from us, they’ll also be helping the local community within our Community Sports Trust by providing education and funding.
Any messaging and campaigns that we will be involved in will have a clear emphasis on responsible gambling and the importance of remaining in control. Thank you to Peter Halpin from Halpin Sport for introducing us to QuinnBet and helping secure this partnership.”
QuinnBet’s Managing Director, Stephen Kelly added:
“We are delighted to partner with a club that has the long traditions and history, as well as some fantastic recent achievements in the Premier League. Like the Cherries, we operate in an industry dominated by large competitors, but that doesn’t detract from our ambitions to climb to the top. To get there, our philosophy is simple and based on providing unrivalled customer support, together with giving more back, and always promoting responsible gambling as an integral part of our ethos.
To this end, we are especially pleased to be partnering with Bournemouth’s Community Sports Trust to promote wellbeing, education, and awareness around gambling. Over the course of the season, we intend to run several competitions in association with the club for club merchandise, match tickets together with price boosts and enhanced offers for AFC Bournemouth’s home and away matches for if you enjoy a responsible bet.”
As the season is already underway and many of the club’s supporters have already purchased a 2021/22 jersey, the club will offer fans the opportunity to have the logo added to an existing shirt. All profits from the sale of QuinnBet logos for aftermarket printing will go directly to the Cherries Community Fund. However, the club noted that the logo will not be available to print on children’s shirts.
The news of the partnership deal comes as English football clubs face a potential ban on all gambling sponsorship on club shirts and merchandise. If passed, the new law could come into force before the end of the year.
Image credit: Ungry Young Man / CC BY 2.0
Olivia has worked as an editor and writer for major brands across multiple niches. She now focuses on the iGaming and sports betting industries.