Betfred inks deal to become Manchester United’s betting partner
Bookmaker to return as Red Devils’ sports betting partner after 16 years yet United fan Fred Done faces backlash from supporters
Betfred has signed a deal worth £4m with Premier League giants Manchester United to become the side’s new betting partner.
This deal comes weeks after United declined a sponsorship deal with Asian bookmaker HTH, which in turn replaced an earlier controversial deal with Yabo Sports.
Betfred becomes the Red Devils’ 24th global sponsor, as displayed on the team’s website.
The deal has been met with some backlash as United fans are upset that a fellow fan in Betfred owner Fred Done would comfortable funding Manchester United’s controversial owners, the Glazer family.
@Betfred disgusted you are funding the Glazer Family and I thought Fred Done was a Man Utd supporter obviously not! Wont be getting my custom anymore #GlazersOut #BoycottBetFred We want our club back $MANU @NYSE @WSJ pic.twitter.com/jJ1zd1WhEf
— PaulMUFC
(@pau1luvsutd) August 16, 2022
Glazer Funders, complicit in Man Utds decline #BoycottBetFred #GlazersOut $MANU @NYSE @WSJ Sponsoring Man Utd under the Glazers is bad for business pic.twitter.com/4DsHYpVcAi
— PaulMUFC
No more @ManUtd merchandise being bought or any of their sponsors until the club is sold by the leeches @adidas @TeamViewer @Aon_plc @tezos @DXCTechnology @apollotyres @Betfred @CadburyUK #GlazersOut #TimeToSell
— Ian Slater (@IanSlater1990) August 9, 2022
The Glazers are a sensitive subject for United supporters, and fans are upset to see Betfred funding what they see as a toxic ownership.
This is not the first time that the Warrington-headquartered bookmaker has been the betting partner of United, as back in 2006, Betfred signed a similar deal with the side and the re-built Wembley Stadium a year later.
The deal has been met with some negativity outside of the club as gambling-related harm campaign group The Big Step took to Twitter to state its discontent.
£4million for @ManUtd to promote gambling in front of millions of young fans around the world.
For context, that's just over eight weeks of @Cristiano's salary at the club. https://t.co/aDCXuLWEsb
— The Big Step (@the_bigstep) August 16, 2022
Gambling sponsors in football have come in for a lot of flak, and that viewpoint has only intensified in recent months ahead of the white paper into the Gambling Act 2005 review.
The Premier League is set to vote next month for a voluntary ban on gambling front-of-shirt sponsors, but that vote would leave deals like this and sleeve sponsors untouched.
Betfred also recently announced that it would be extending its partnership with the PDC to remain as the title sponsor for the World Matchplay and the Women’s World Matchplay.