SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Betsson Group’s StarCasino Sport entertainment brand has strengthened its links to Italian football by securing an extension to its partnership with Lega Serie B (LNPB).
StarCasino Sport’s collaboration with Italian football’s second division will continue for the remainder of the 2023/24 season, building on pre-existing partnership inked for the 2022/23 campaign.
The partnership secures the international betting and gaming group visibility in Italy, where agreements between bookmakers/casinos and football clubs are prohibited under the country’s advertising laws set by the ‘Dignity Decree’ of 2018.
Italian football clubs are allowed to sign media deals with ‘sports entertainment companies’ even if these are owned by betting groups. As Betsson’s sports entertainment brand, StarCasino Sport specialises in content such as daily news, videos and editorial.
“We accomplished significant work alongside LNPB during the previous season, and we are proud to continue down this path,” said Stefano Tino, Managing Director of StarCasino.Sport.
“The renewal of this collaboration represents a major step forward in our sponsorship strategy, through which we aim to increasingly align ourselves with both major and grassroots sports entities that fully embrace the values of sports.
“Football is not just Serie A; there are countless other clubs across Italy driven by a genuine passion for the game, and they deserve recognition and support. Therefore, our partnership with Lega B is a concrete step in this direction.”
StarCasino Sport’s continued partnership with the Lega B includes several objective. This includes customisation of the VAR Room, of on-field positions and communications between referees and assistants, as well as dedicated TV graphics.
The brand will also gain visibility across all second division stadiums, which Betsson stated is a “significant opportunity to enhance the popularity of StarCasino.Sport throughout Italy, from the pitch to television, while promoting important values associated with the spirit of sportsmanship and integration”.
Partnering with Lega B follows an active year for StarCasino Sport in terms of Italian sponsorship, with the deal coming off the back of a renewal of its partnership with AS Roma and the inking of a new agreement with SSC Napoli.
Italy is one of Betsson’s oldest markets, with the company having first secured a licence in the country in 2011, its second licence following Malta in 2004, and is active in the local market via its flagship brand.
The new deal between Betsson’s StarCasino Sport, which the group believes marks a ‘new phase’ in the entertainment brand’s history – and Lega B was intermediated by Infront, the league’s Marketing Advisor.
Alessandro Giacomini, Managing Director of Infront Italy, remarked: “We are very pleased to have contributed to the renewal of the partnership between StarCasino.Sport and Serie BKT because our goal is to create long-term collaborations that bring value to sports institutions and our client brands.
“To create successful case histories, it is essential to understand the local territories, and Infront has been engaging with local sports entities for over twenty years, adapting language and initiatives according to local realities to maximise investments and brand recognition.”
