Duelbits Becomes Aston Villa’s European Betting Partner

UK Premier League team Aston Villa announced that crypto casino and sportsbook operator Duelbits would become the team’s official European betting partner for the 2022/23 season. The Duelbits logo will be visible pitch-side during Villa’s domestic games.

Duelbits Is Still Relatively Young and Niche

Duelbits is an online casino and sportsbook operator targeting the cryptocurrency niche. It was founded in 2020 and has enjoyed moderate success, expanding its customer base and reach to secure a sponsorship with a high-profile football team. Thanks to the contract with Aston Villa, Duelbits hopes to boost brand recognition and fuel its global expansion plans. The company is based in Curaçao and has over 35 employees.

According to Duelbits chief marketing officer Marco Pinnisi, the project’s development team contains professionals passionate about their work, and they developed the entire platform in-house. They aimed to make an engaging and streamlined product suitable for both novices and sportsbook veterans.

Duelbits aims to continually develop a strong sportsbook that can be compared to leading bookmakers in the market.

Marco Pinnisi, chief marketing officer at Duelbits

The Company Seeks to Improve Brand Awareness

Aston Villa chief commercial officer Nicola Ibbetson welcomed Duelbits to the club’s family of partners and lauded the project’s drive and passion.

It was clear from our first conversations that their ambition to challenge and to grow matches our own. We look forward to working together this season.

Nicola Ibbetson, Aston Villa chief commercial officer

Pinnisi expressed his excitement regarding the new sponsorship contract, adding that the brand had matured enough since its December 2021 launch to invest in more high-profile endeavors to improve visibility. According to him, partnering with one of the most well-known Premier League teams was a golden opportunity for the young sportsbook and underlined its goal to work with more first-class sports brands.

We are extremely excited and honored to support such a legendary club, and we are sure this great mixture will be particularly engaging for our users and Aston Villa fans.

Marco Pinnisi, chief marketing officer at Duelbits

Another motivating factor behind Duelbits’ sponsorship choice was the company’s desire to shift away from its image as a young brand. In Pinnisi’s words, associating with a club with a rich history like Aston Villa would create an engaging combination between heritage and new generation ideas.

Tensions on Gambling Sponsorships Continue to Rise

Aston Villa accepts its new sponsor amidst turbulent times for the UK’s football and sports betting industries. The country’s upcoming gambling reform initially contained plans to introduce a blanket ban on gambling shirt advertisements, but lawmakers quickly dropped that part of the legislation. However, the topic remained hotly contested and caused significant tension among football teams and operators alike.
Deciding to take matters into their own hands, Premier League clubs decided to do a preemptive vote on a voluntary front-of-shirt ban. The proposal needs the approval of 14 out of the league’s 20 teams and will likely affect only front-of-shirt sponsorships. The clubs have not yet agreed on the specifics of the voluntary ban, but more information should soon be available.