Operator News
Chile – More sponsorship deals could end says lawyer for online sector
By James - 16 October 2023
Through a statement, the legal advisor to online betting platforms Betano, Betsson, BetWarrior, Coolbet and Latamwin, Carlos Baeza responded to the early termination of the contract between the National Association of Professional Football (ANFP) and Betsson.
Baeza said that more online sports betting operators could now end sponsorship deals leaving athletes at a clear disadvantage. Baeza stated that the ending of contracts between clubs and sports betting operators was down to lobbying efforts by monopoly holder La Polla Chilena de Beneficencia and the land based sector which had together conducted a “smear campaign” against the online sector.
“Given the abrupt changes that the discussion on the regulation of online gaming platforms has had in Congress, we cannot rule out that other platforms will stop providing sponsorships for football and other disciplines,” he said.
Baeza said that the end of the deals with clubs “can undoubtedly leave hundreds of athletes in Chile without the necessary resources to practice their disciplines and compete internationally. This affects the advertising investment that companies are making.”
According to Baeza currently there is no rule in place that prohibits the operation of online platforms. However, he went onto say that “the smear campaign of physical casinos and the Polla Chilena de Beneficencia is leaving sport in Chile without sponsorship, and they have done so with the sole intention of taking over a market that does not belong to them.”
