Sportingbet Proves Online Casinos and Sports Can Cooperate

Today, online gambling operator Sportingbet announced it had reached an agreement to sponsor the Wolverhampton Wanderers.

While US sports leagues live in fear of legal sports gambling, European leagues have come to grips with the reality that people will bet on their games. Today, online gambling operator Sportingbet announced it had reached an agreement to sponsor the Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The deal is for two years and, while exact numbers were not released, is said to be in seven figures. The soccer team will carry Sportingbet logos on its uniforms, and will allow significant advertising at its home stadium.

The Wanderers are fourth all-time in British soccer statistics, trailing only Manchester United, Arsenal, and Liverpool.

The deal demonstrates the natural working relationship between online casinos and sports leagues overseas. Understanding that a large part of sports popularity derives from gambling, European leagues work with regulated Internet gaming sites both to create opportunities like this, and to insure the integrity of games.

In contrast, the US is still seeking to punish Sportingbet for having accepted US players before the passage of the UIGEA. But, without transparent and regulated sports gambling, wagering is controlled by organized crime, and the chances of match-fixing also increase.