Asian online gambling operator signs up as English football team sponsor

The Philippines-based and Asian targeting online gambling operator Dafabet has taken over from Genting as the shirt sponsor for English football club Aston Villa in a new two-year agreement.

The deal will see the Dafabet logo featured on the home and away Villa shirts, while the sponsors will also get involved with the club’s support for the Acorns children’s hospice.

Villa chief executive Paul Faulkner said of the agreement: “Crucially for us, during negotiations Dafabet displayed a strong willingness to work with us in our continued support for Acorns and we look forward to progressing some ideas around that in the near future.

“This will be a good and positive partnership for the club and we are looking forward to working together with Dafabet as we continue to build and move the club forward.

Dimitris Karatzas, managing director of online betting and gaming at Dafabet owner AsianBGE, said: “After entering the Premier League last season as international betting partners to two clubs, we saw the increased potential of becoming an official club sponsor.

“It’s a very significant and proud moment for us to form such a partnership with Aston Villa, a side steeped in tradition.”

Villa’s new home and away kits for the 2013/14 season will be launched during a two-day music festival at Villa Park this weekend (June 15-16).

John Cruces, head of sponsorships at Dafabet said that being associated with the famous Aston Villa name would assist the betting company in making Dafabet a household name – not just in Asia, but internationally.

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