Sponsors of Manchester United in the Gambling Industry
Manchester United isn’t just a football club. It has become a large brand that partners with other companies for mutual promotion. Manchester partners include Adidas, Chevrolet, Chivas, DHL, and many others.
But what about gambling brands? Which are decent enough to work with a reputable Manchester United club? We’ll find it below.
Betfred
In 2024, the only Manchester’s gambling partner is Betfred. It’s one of the biggest and most reputable sportsbooks in the world.
Betfred’s history takes us back to 1966 when Done brothers, Peter and Fred, bet on England During the World Cup and won a fortune. They decided to spend it on their passion.
As a result, Peter and Fred opened an actual betting shop in 1967. By 1997, they’d opened around 100 betting shops. And in 2004, the site went online, featuring the most popular sports of that time (football, hockey, basketball, tennis, etc.)
Betred’s success attracted Manchester United. In 2006, they signed the first sponsorship deal, lasting till 2013. Cooperation with Betfred was quite prolific, so MU renewed a sponsorship in 2023.
Manchester’s affinity with Betfred boils down to a bookie’s success. Betfred is so influential that it launches its own events:
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The Betfred World Championship (snooker);
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Betfred British Masters (golf);
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Betfred World Matchplay Darts;
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Wilder vs Fury II (boxing), etc.
Manchester United states that it is delighted with involvement in these high-class competitions thanks to partnering with Betfred.
Betfred isn’t just for betting. The site also has a casino section for slots, lotto, bingo, poker, and virtual sports. Unfortunately, it isn’t perfect. The site is losing to modern quick payout casinos due to its slow payment processing.
Betfair
Manchester United has constantly worked with some British gambling and football betting brands. While Betfred was off, it was Batfair.
It’s another popular bookie, launched in 2000 with headquarters in London. Betfair has a Malta license and features football, tennis, cricket, MMA, horse racing, and darts bets.
According to the Manchester United deal, Betfair gained the rights to use a MU logo at:
It gave the brand a solid credibility boost. It’s easy to persuade clients to use a site by showing them you partner with their favorite team. These benefits lasted three years.
After that, Betfair launched its “Betfair Goal Challenge.” It challenged Wayne Rooney, Michael Owen and Dimitar Berbatov to score the most goals during the season. Each successful shot gave £1,000 to the Manchester United Foundation.
As you can remember, MU substituted Betfair with Betfred. It’s just a more reputable and famous gambling brand, making it more attractive to partner with.
Interestingly, Betfair worked with other clubs before Manchester. For instance, in 2003, it had a T-shirt print deal with Fulham.
HTH
In 2021, Manchester got one of its most uncommon sponsors: HTH (Hua Ti Hui), a Chinese gambling site. It shows that the Manchester United brand is recognized even in far Asian regions.
Chances are you don’t know about HTH. It’s unsurprising, as most Chinese sites don’t reach the West. But HTH isn’t a joke in Asia. It’s among the biggest Chinese bookmakers known for its broad match choice and lucrative bonuses.
Interestingly, HTH isn’t the first Asian sponsor of Manchester. It came after Yabo Sports signed in 2019 but left the contract in 2021, just before HTH came.
How Manchester United Chooses Its Gambling Partners
A sponsorship is beneficial for both parties. For a gambling brand, it’s an excellent opportunity to increase its credibility. What does Manchester United get? By placing its logo at bookmakers, Manchester increases its recognition and gains potential fans.
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Sponsorship also exposes an FC to new audiences. That was the main reason Manchester United signed a deal with Yabo and HTH: it wanted to expand in Asia. It spreads awareness of the team among specific audiences, which inclines them to future promo campaigns.
Conclusion
According to the official Manchester United data, in 2024, the club partners only with Betfred. What about other brands? Their deals simply expired, and the club doesn’t want to extend them yet for unknown reasons.
But it can change soon. The club’s sponsorship history shows it prefers to work with several gambling brands simultaneously. And right now, it’s just one. |
