Marketing
Endorsement Deal
Definition
A sponsorship structure where an athlete, celebrity, or influencer is paid to promote an operator. Subject to growing advertising restrictions in regulated markets.
Key takeaways
- An endorsement deal pays an athlete, celebrity or influencer to promote an operator, borrowing their credibility and reach.
- The risks are reputational, if the endorser misbehaves, and regulatory, if the endorsement breaches advertising standards.
- Italy bans gambling advertising and sponsorship, Spain bans sports sponsorship, and UK rules bar people with strong appeal to under-18s.
Why it matters
Endorsement and ambassador deals are a major marketing investment for sportsbook brands in particular. The benefit is borrowed credibility and demographic reach; the risk is reputational exposure when the endorser does something problematic and regulatory exposure when the endorsement breaches advertising standards. Both risks have materialised often enough to shape industry practice.
Advertising restrictions have tightened around endorsement deals in many markets. Spain banned professional sports sponsorship by gambling operators under Real Decreto 958/2020; the same decree barred well-known personalities from gambling advertising, but the Supreme Court annulled that provision in April 2024 and the government consulted in 2026 on restoring it by law. Italy's Dignity Decree of 2018 banned gambling advertising and sponsorship outright, which rules out paid endorsements. UK ASA and CAP Code rules restrict gambling marketing involving anyone with "strong appeal to under-18s" which has been interpreted broadly. The trajectory in mature markets is more restrictive, while emerging markets and the US still see substantial endorsement spend.
Sources
- Decreto-legge 12 luglio 2018, n. 87, articolo 9 (Decreto Dignità) - Normattiva (Italian State)
- El Tribunal Supremo anula varios artículos del Real Decreto 958/2020 de comunicaciones comerciales de las actividades de juego - Consejo General del Poder Judicial
- La DGOJ abre a consulta pública la modificación de la Ley de Regulación del Juego - Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between endorsement and influencer marketing?
Overlapping. Endorsement deals are typically longer-term, higher-fee, with one or a small number of athletes or celebrities. Influencer marketing is broader, often shorter-term, and operates at scale with many smaller-audience creators. The compliance considerations are similar but the deal structures differ.
Can operators use under-25 athletes in endorsement deals?
Varies by jurisdiction and increasingly restricted. The UK CAP Code bars anyone who is, or seems to be, under 25 from being shown gambling or playing a significant role in gambling marketing, with a narrow exception on betting sites for a person who is the subject of the bet offered. Spain's 2020 decree barred well-known personalities from gambling advertising, but its Supreme Court annulled that rule in April 2024. Many operators have stopped using athletes considered to have strong youth appeal regardless of specific local restrictions.