Betfair: Ich bin ein Berliner

Last week Germany’s new draft State Treaty on Gaming (“the Treaty”) was ruled incompatible with EU law in a detailed opinion issued by the European Commission (“EC”).  This week, we bear witness a great example of what happens when an EU member’s protectionist/prohibitive stance with regard to online gambling doesn’t have the support of the EC.

Betfair, who had filed a complaint when the Treaty was first released earlier this year, have taken the EC’s rejection of the Treaty as a green light to dive into the German market with their first football sponsorship deal there. They have signed a one year deal with 4th division club Türkiyemspor Berlin that will see the Betfair logo emblazoned on the team’s shirts during the upcoming season.

Betfair Germany’s Peter Reinhardt said of the deal,

“Türkiyemspor has worked hard both in the field of athleticism and in working for tolerance and integration within and beyond the local community…For us they are more than a football club. We specifically chose to sign with a sports club and not a professional football club.”

I’m sure they specifically chose Türkiyemspor, but if there had been space on Bayern Munich’s shirt I recon they would have jumped at that opportunity!