Clash of the football shirts
20 Jun 2007
LONDON, England -- As reported by The Guardian: "European football shirt sponsorship has emerged as the bizarre battleground for an increasingly bitter fight between offshore internet gambling groups and a handful of continental regulators, determined to outlaw unlicensed online betting on their turf.
"Leading the charge for the gambling groups is Gibraltar-based Bwin, already shirt sponsors at Champions League winners AC Milan. This week the group added Real Madrid to its sponsorship catalogue in a deal worth about €21m (£14m) a year - the third largest in Europe, behind insurance group AIG's tie-up with Manchester United and T-Com's deal with Bayern Munich.
"The move, regarded by some as commercially nonsensical, is a calculated one to demonstrate that Bwin will not be deterred from promoting its betting and gaming websites..."