The Unibet logo was already visible on the sleeve last season and has now moved to the front of the Club Brugge jersey. The fact that a gambling company will be featured so prominently as a sponsor upsets many supporters on social media. “A shame for Club Brugge.” “That really doesn’t match our DNA?!” “Spit-spitty sponsor,” fans respond under the announcements on Facebook and Twitter.

The football club understands the fuss, although an internal evaluation would show that critical reactions are in the minority. “We know that it is a sector that raises concerns, especially regarding minors and the risk of gambling addiction,” says commercial manager Bob Madou. According to the club, Unibet is the best possible partner in this regard. The official announcement states that Unibet “differentiates itself in the field of responsible gaming”.

Marijs Geirnaert, director of the Flemish expertise center for Alcohol and other Drugs (VAD), laughs. “We’re not going to be naive about that, are we? It’s still gambling. Those companies know why they sponsor football clubs: it encourages people to gamble.”

6 MILLION DEAL

For Unibet, the front of a football shirt is a dream advertising opportunity. Anyone watching a football match sees the logo constantly – exactly when the company wants to get fans to gamble. So it reaches the audience at the best possible time. According to Madou, gambling companies also opt for shirt sponsorship more often. Increasingly strict legislation has severely restricted online advertising, making classic visibility a more interesting investment.

More and more money is being pumped into football in particular. Fifteen of the sixteen first division clubs in our country have some form of sponsorship agreement with a gambling company. “You simply cannot stay behind,” says Club Brugge spokesperson Kirsten Willem. The commercial truth is that gambling companies simply want to offer more money. According to sources, the deal is worth around 6 million euros over two years. The club only wants to say that Unibet’s budget is approximately three times as high as that of other possible sponsors. Madou: “If we don’t close the deal, one of our competitors will.”

GAMBLING ADDICTION

The large budget is exemplary of the continued growth of the gambling industry, says Arne Nilis, the son of ex-pro Luc. He struggled with a serious gambling addiction for years and has emerged as a vocal opponent of that industry in recent years. “A football club like Club Brugge always presents itself as a unit of society with social goals. Then it is really unbelievable to advertise a gambling site and influence young people.”

“The social reality is that betting is increasingly becoming part of the sports and football experience,” says Madou. That reasoning is self-defeating, says Nilis. “Club Brugge’s decision actually contributes to the normalization of gambling.”

Close-up of golden Bitcoins on a dark reflective surface and the histogram of decreasing crypto in the background

The football club emphasizes that it has worked hard to make the agreements with Unibet as ethically responsible as possible. “We have agreed that there cannot be any campaign with Unibet and Club Brugge, except campaigns that take responsible gaming as a focus.” In addition, the gambling company’s logo will not be printed on shirts sold to minors. This is followed by the slogan ‘no heart, no glory’.

A commendable measure, according to Geirnaert, which will make little difference. Minors are not allowed to gamble, so the sector is targeting adults anyway. “Moreover, the effect remains limited, because young fans still see their idols playing in shirts with the sponsor on them.”