July 3 – FC Barcelona have extended their deal with 1XBET, which will see the controversial online casino continue as the club’s Global Partner and Official Betting Partner until June 2029.
The agreement will provide exposure for the brand on the Club’s different international digital advertising assets, as well as access to the men’s, women’s and indoor sports team players alongside Barça Legends to produce promotional content on their site.
To aid the club with their continuing financial issues, the deal is rumoured to be highly lucrative, but no official value has been confirmed.
Juli Guiu, vice-president of the FC Barcelona Marketing Area, said: “The renewal of the agreement with 1XBET is the consolidation of a long-term collaboration that will help us to reassert our commercial strategy in the global sphere. Our aim is to continue working together as we have until now, in liaison with a benchmark brand in the online technology and gambling market.”
“We are delighted to continue our partnership with one of the world’s most famous sports brands,” added Alex Sommers, spokesman of 1XBET. “In business, as in sports, it is important to be in a team with a reliable partner and work hard to achieve results. The extension of the agreement with FC Barcelona confirms that we are on the right track.”
The deal means that 1XBet will continue to hold some of the most powerful clubs in world football amongst their sponsorship roster. Despite being based in Cyprus, all three of the company’s owners have been placed on the international wanted list by the Investigative Committee of Russia.
The controversy doesn’t stop there. Following a 2019 investigation by The Sunday Times, the UK Gambling Commission revoked 1xBet’s license due to their involvement in promoting a “pornhub casino”, placing bets on children’s sports, and advertising on illegal websites.
Additionally, 1xBet is listed on Russia’s payment processor and Federal Tax Service blacklist.
Tottenham terminated their deal with the betting company back in September 2023 after just four weeks, though Liverpool and Chelsea still have ongoing sponsorship deals with the firm.
FC Barcelona will kick off their pre-season with a game against Premier League champions Manchester City on July 30 in Orlando, Florida. They will then take on Real Madrid in a pre-season El Clasico in New Jersey on August 3 before wrapping up their US tour with a game against AC Milan in Baltimore on August 6.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1720216006labto1720216006ofdlr1720216006owedi1720216006sni@g1720216006niwe.1720216006yrrah1720216006