Major League Soccer & Gambling Sponsorships

Major League Soccer has changed its commercial guidelines and has now allowed the clubs for signing front-Jersey sponsorships with spirits and sports betting companies. The league has also made several other policies flexible like allowing the sports betting industry to sign stadium naming rights with the clubs of the MLS. These new changes were discussed in 2019 and were effective post the two meetings in April and December simultaneously.
Multiple clubs across Major League Soccer have started discussions with companies for such sponsorships, especially in states where gambling is legal. Philadelphia Union and the New York Bulls have joined hands for stadium naming rights with betting companies. DC United has initiated allowing a sports betting facility to function at the Audi Field. There are a bunch of premium casinos such as BetMGM which facilitate legal and friendly gambling experiences. gamblingguy.com provides a detailed review of BetMGM that could help players get started.
What Does Carter Ladd Say About These Sponsorships?
The senior VP of Business Development at Major League Soccer is Carter Ladd. He mentioned that the commercial guideline changes reflected the changes in the sports betting landscape and also helped put the high-quality, premium spirits category more aligned to wine and beer. He also acknowledged that the Major League Soccer Clubs are connected to the potential sponsorship partners across these categories. He declined to further comment in detail on the negotiations but said that these deals would be signed off by the 2019 season. Ladd also mentioned that the league expects to connect to a larger fan base and generate revenue. He feels that by opening jersey Sponsors, there will be growth in both betting and sports in terms of fanbase too. For sports betting enthusiasts, it is very important to keep a tab on the latest News to be well informed.
The MLS signed its first major league deal with a sports betting company in March 2019. No company in the spirits category had been signed off yet but there were no restrictions imposed against it as well. MLS commented that it would also allow sleeve patch sponsorships for all 26 teams from its next season. Hopefully, soon we will be able to see both spirit sponsorships and also sleeve patch sponsorships.
Beyond naming rights and jersey opportunities, the commercial guideline changes have also opened up multiple ways for MLS clubs to partner with sports betting companies. Basically, a partner in this category would be allowed the usage of club markets in connection with its advertising and sports book. They could also have logos and its brand appear on the stadium signs along with the digital advertising boards. Major League Soccer along with their broadcast partners are allowed to sell advertisement sports to these betting companies during broadcasts and could also create programs that would feature sports betting information like wagers, betting lines, and game odds.
For in-stadium bettings, MLS has allowed clubs to establish sports betting at multiple stadiums, adjacent to stadiums as well as private lounges. However, clubs alone are not allowed to become licensed sports betting operators and could only work along with a different one.
MLS is ensuring that clubs who join hands with sports betting or spirits sponsorships reach out only to the age-appropriate fanbase. This indicates that no MSL players under 22 are allowed to advertise for sports betting or spirits whatsoever. Major League Soccer will continue monitoring and evaluating the commercial guidelines in order to understand the changes that are brought about in these clubs in terms of popularity, growth, and funding.