And the potential of the online gaming sector to make an impact

There’s no denying that the enduring popularity of football has attracted a wide variety of enterprises that are keen on promoting and expanding their respective brands to a passionate fan base. From world-renowned sports companies to local businesses, numerous football clubs and leagues across the globe have taken on a diverse range of sponsors throughout the years. More recently, online gaming websites and sports betting outfits have increasingly emerged as a vital force in football sponsorships. A fairly recent report from online gaming research firm iGaming Business states that the global online casino industry is expected to be worth $7.1 billion in terms of gross gaming yield by the end of 2014 – a remarkable increase of nearly 79% from 2009.

It’s not too surprising to find out, then, that even a beloved English institution like the Football Conference has allied itself with a well-known online sports betting firm. Indeed, the Football Conference signed this particular online sports betting firm to a three-year title sponsorship deal back in April 2007, which was extended for another three years in April 2010. On the whole, online sports betting platforms and gaming outfits like casinos will continue to be a viable pastime for football fans – mostly due to the increasing prevalence of state-of-the-art smartphones and tablets. Online casino gaming developer AlchemyBet, which has provided games for pocket fruity in the past, cites an interesting tidbit from a PopCap-commissioned survey released in July 2012. Apparently, 9% of the 125 million mobile gamers in the survey claimed to have played mobile games at a sporting event.

Going back to the Football Conference, the league is currently looking for a new title sponsor after their deal with online payment firm Skrill came to an end following the close of the season. It’s also worth noting that nearly every club in the 2014-15 season of the Football Conference shares a few common sponsors. Some of these notable companies include sports advertising specialist Sports 360, German sportswear brand Jako AG, and UK multisport teamwear purveyor Surridge Sport.