Online sportsbook in Snooker sponsorship deal

Online sportsbook, casino and poker operator Betway has signed an agreement with World Snooker to become title sponsor of the newly-named 2015 Betway UK Championship.

Taking place at the historic Barbican in York from November 24 to December 6, the 2015 Betway UK Championship represents the online bookmaker’s latest foray into snooker sponsorship.

The firm recently lent its name to World Snooker’s Shoot-Out tournament and the World Seniors Championship at the Blackpool Tower Circus Arena in early March.

Since the inception of the event in 1977, the UK Championship has become one of the most highly anticipated events on the snooker calendar, making up the final leg of the sport’s Triple Crown, and counts five-time winner Ronnie O’Sullivan as its reigning champion.

Betway’s CEO Richard Akitt said Thursday: “Snooker is a sport which is going places with worldwide viewing figures increasing year-on-year and it’s fantastic for us to be associated with the game as it breaks new ground.”

World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn said: “The Betway UK Championship will be watched by many millions of people across the planet as the very best players compete for one of the most prestigious titles. Last year’s final between O’Sullivan and Trump was an all-time classic.”

Betway recently became the principal football club sponsor of West Ham United and is the title sponsor of the Betway Premier League Darts. The company sponsored the 2015 Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, and extended its Flat portfolio to cover the Betway Lincoln at Doncaster, The Chester Cup and high-profile Group contests at York.

Related and similar