Association lets cooperation expire
FC St. Pauli will refrain from sports betting advertising in the future
There will no longer be advertising for sports betting at Hamburg’s Millerntor. FC St. Pauli is letting its contract with a betting provider expire.
© Claus Bergmann / Imago Images
For years, many football fans have criticized their clubs for cooperating with sports betting providers. FC St. Pauli is now reacting and is letting its partnership with a betting provider expire at the end of the season. The club confirmed this on request.
FC St. Pauli will no longer advertise sports betting in the future. The club explained this at the request of the star and in a press release. For years, many fans have been criticizing clubs and associations for cooperating with betting providers and the sometimes excessive advertising before, after and during football broadcasts.
FC St. Pauli will no longer be in partnership with sports betting providers
Already last month he had star reported on the involvement of betting providers in German professional football. Most inquiries as to why the clubs cooperate with the sometimes dodgy companies remained unanswered. As a club, FC St. Pauli alone was open about its partnership and stated in a statement that the club could not do without the income of the sports betting partner in this difficult time after the corona pandemic and during high inflation.
The club has now decided to take a different path and to let the cooperation expire on June 30th, 2023. Club President Oke Göttlich said in a press release: “We make courageous decisions because we are convinced that this consistent path will pay off in the medium and long term.” Göttlich emphasized that there would not be a new betting provider as a replacement.
This could free up space for other long-term partners, “because the credibility of our club, our brand, also ensures greater appeal for our partners,” says Göttlich. When asked about it, Bernd von Geldern, head of business at the club, made a similar statement: “Our strategy is to work with partners who are a perfect match for FC St. Pauli, so that we can tell common stories on our platforms. We are convinced that to be successful with this strategy.”
34 out of 36 clubs in the 1st and 2nd Bundesliga are currently cooperating with gambling companies
Of the 36 professional clubs in the 1st and 2nd Bundesliga, 34 are currently cooperating with gambling companies. The “Kiezkicker” are thus taking an unpopular path. “Financially, it hurts not to have a partner from the sports betting segment anymore, you have to be that honest.” Nevertheless, in this economically difficult time, ways will be sought to compensate for the lack of income, explained von Geldern to the star.
“We will have to consider in all segments, whether merchandising, marketing, catering and events or ticketing: How do we position ourselves for the future?” Göttlich also explains in the press release. “If we have the feeling that we have to change something, then we will take action.”
The club has now done so in the field of sports betting advertising. However, von Geldern emphasizes: “Our partner helped us a lot in a very difficult time.” But now the partnership is over. The topic was discussed repeatedly both internally and with the membership. “Now there is a fundamental decision to no longer enter into a partnership in the sports betting segment.”
It remains to be seen whether the path taken by FC St. Pauli, as one of the very few professional clubs in Germany, to refrain from cooperating with sports betting providers also represents a blueprint for other clubs. Under certain circumstances, however, the question may no longer arise in the near future. The Federal Commissioner for Addiction and Drug Issues, Burkhard Blienert, had repeatedly emphasized in recent months that he wanted to campaign for a restriction of sports betting advertising. Maybe the clips and banners will be banned in the future, like in Spain or England. However, FC St. Pauli anticipated this discussion.
Source: Press release FC St. Pauli