Betway stands by new Italy sponsorship deal
CEO Anthony Werkman insists the operator’s three-year sponsorship of Serie A club is not in breach of Italy’s new laws on gambling advertising
Betway has reiterated the legitimacy of its deal with Italian Serie A club Roma despite the coalition government’s ban of gambling sponsorship in football.
The Malta-headquartered operator signed a three-year deal to become premium betting partner of Roma on 10 July, just one week after the country’s coalition government passed a blanket ban on gambling advertising to be implemented from January 2019.
The new law forbids any kind of gambling sponsorship in football but concedes that existing sponsorships will be allowed to conclude with no option for renewal.
And Italy’s deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio cast doubt on the newly-signed sponsorship deals yesterday, telling media outlet Il Fatto Quotidiano that any advertising contracts entered into between the publication of the so-called the Dignity and its approval will not be valid.
But Betway CEO Anthony Werkman has downplayed concerns, insisting his firm’s sponsorship of Roma meets all requirements of Italian law.
Betway CEO Anthony Werkman
He said: “We have been in discussions for more than a year and we have chosen AS Roma as our primary partner as part of our Italian launch plans.
“Both parties are satisfied that it meets with all requirements of Italian law and it follows the Betway compliance-first model of market entry.
“In the longer term, we are happy to wait and see how the regulatory landscape evolves and will comply with whatever the laws stipulate.
“For the time being, though, we are delighted to have AS Roma on board and look forward to a fruitful partnership with them, their supporters, and the Italian online-gaming community at large,” he added.
Marathonbet signed a similar deal with Lazio on 10 July , but could not be reached for comment.