Circus, GAMING1’s flagship operator brand, has struck a new sponsorship partnership with Belgian soccer club KAA Gent. The partnership will consolidate the company’s existing footprint in Belgium and Circus’ own foothold in Belgian soccer. The partnership is designed to focus on the brand’s sports and entertainment expertise.

KAA Gent Teams up with Circus for More Fan Opportunities

The partnership comes with a stronger commitment to responsible gambling, emphasizing how important this aspect of such partnerships has become in the first place. KAA Gent is happy with the collaboration as it will also serve as a way for the soccer club to elevate its own brand.

Circus is a well-established and prominent brand in both the casino and sportsbook verticals in Belgium and it presents the club with an opportunity to reach out and connect with more fans. Ardent Group, the company which owns GAMING1 and by extension Circus, had chief executive Emmanuel Mewissen comment on this partnership:

We’re very happy with this new partnership. Ardent is a group that continues to grow and expand internationally. Our flagship brand Circus is now present in Belgium, France, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. But we’ve always been keen to keep our Belgian roots, particularly by supporting our local sports teams.

Ardent Group chief executive Emmanuel Mewissen

KAA Gent commercial manager Tyas Kastelijn welcomed the news and said that this was a structural partnership and Circus was an ideal match. Kastelijn said that communicating the club’s commitment to responsible gambling – an everlasting focus for the club – was of the utmost importance.

Thanks to this partnership with GAMING1, KAA Gent will work hard to create new opportunities for engagement for fans. The partnership comes in a rather fraught context for gambling and sports betting companies.

In July, the country agreed to restrict weekly gambling deposits to around $203. There have been a lot of rumors about limiting gambling advertisements as well. The complete ban on such advertisements has not been taken kindly by all and there has been strong pushback against the floated measure.