The Football Association has announced that it has signed its first ever sponsorship deal with a bookmaker. William Hill has officially become a sponsor of both the FA Cup and England.
William Hill is one of the largest bookmakers in the United Kingdom and is listed on the London Stock Exchange. William Hill has been around since 1934 when it was founded and brings with it a solid and proven record as an Online Casinoand bookmaker.
The deal is for two and a half years and in effect this completes the FA’s roster of main and second tier sponsors for the next 4 years leading up to the Brazil World Cup in 2014. This is quite a milestone considering the tough economic situation and England’s poor performance in the 201 World Cup.
The latest deal with William Hill follows deals with Vauxhall and Budweiser who will be the main England Team and FA sponsors. They have replaced Nationwide and E.ON. Other major sponsors include Tesco, Umbro, Mars, McDonald’s and Carlsberg.
For William Hill the sponsorship deal will enable it to use FA Cup and England Imagery in their promotions .Ralph Topping,CEO of William Hill said,” We have been looking for sponsorship opportunities from which we can reward and engage with our customers for the events they most enjoy. This deal with the FA will help us to achieve our objectives of developing the prominence of our brand and increasing market share in all our business channels.”
William Hill has expanded their whole Online Casino and bookmaking business to include scratchcards,slot machines,poker,bingo and a host other instant win games. They really have gone from strength to strength since their establishment and are always looking for innovative ways to increase their market share in other revenues sources such as scratchcards, instant win games and Mobile casino applications.
The FA’s Peter Daire said,” We are delighted to have William Hill on board, commented Peter Daire, The FA’s head of sponsorship. They have a strong track record in sports sponsorship and a considerable online and high-street presence that will enable us to strengthen our communication platforms for England and The FA Cup. In return, William Hill will benefit from an association with two of the highest-profile football sponsorship properties in the world.”
It is amazing to see how online casino gambling has become a natural partner for traditional corporate partnerships. Whether it be playing scratchcards or betting on the England Team, online casino gambling is here to stay. Sponsorships and partnerships of this magnitude only serve to reinforce the common bind that thrills both online scratchcards players and online sports betting enthusiasts.