Baskonia Basketball Team’s Main Shirt Sponsor Linked to Turkish Illegal Betting

Spanish basketball club Baskonia has announced a two-season main sponsorship agreement with KINGROYAL.MEDIA, placing the brand as the club’s primary shirt sponsor across domestic and European competitions, including the EuroLeague.

However, the deal has sparked controversy in Turkey and within parts of the European iGaming community, amid claims that KINGROYAL.MEDIA is not merely a sports news platform, but is instead part of the same network as the Turkish-language illegal betting brand Meritking.

From Meritking.news to Kingroyal.media

According to publicly available information and industry observers, KINGROYAL.MEDIA emerged shortly after the shutdown of Meritking.news, a website presented as a news outlet but widely alleged to have functioned primarily as a promotional channel for Meritking, an illegal betting site targeting users in Turkey.

Meritking.news was reportedly taken offline following legal and corporate pressure, including actions linked to the Merit Group, which sought to prevent the continued use of its brand name in connection with illegal betting promotion. Shortly afterward, KINGROYAL.MEDIA appeared, this time operating entirely in English and adopting a more professional, international media presentation.

Critics argue that despite the rebranding, the underlying commercial purpose remains the same: directing traffic and legitimacy toward Kingroyal, a Turkish-language betting platform that is not licensed in Turkey.

Sponsorship Visibility in EuroLeague

Under the agreement, KINGROYAL.MEDIA branding now appears prominently on Baskonia’s first-team jerseys, inside Buesa Arena, and across the club’s official digital channels. The sponsorship has already been visible during EuroLeague broadcasts, a competition that includes two Turkish teams.

This has reignited debate over whether European clubs should accept sponsorships from entities allegedly linked to betting operations illegal in specific member countries, particularly when those countries are directly represented in the same competition.

Some industry figures argue that, at minimum, there should be an informal “gentlemen’s agreement” preventing clubs from accepting advertising tied to activities that are illegal in the domestic markets of fellow EuroLeague participants.

Baskonia’s Official Position

Baskonia announced the partnership in a Spanish-language statement, describing KINGROYAL.MEDIA as:

“A digital platform specialized in international sports news, with an innovative approach and strong digital presence.”

Haritz Kerejeta, CEO of Baskonia-Alavés Group, said the club was pleased to partner with “a young, ambitious brand with global vision,” while KINGROYAL.MEDIA stated it was proud to associate with “a benchmark of European basketball.”

The club has not publicly addressed claims linking the sponsor to illegal betting activities.

Wider Implications

The case highlights a growing grey area in European sports sponsorship, where brands presented as “media platforms” or “technology companies” may allegedly serve as indirect marketing vehicles for unlicensed gambling operators.

While no European regulator has yet ruled on the Baskonia–KINGROYAL.MEDIA agreement, the situation underscores increasing calls for greater transparency and due diligence in sponsorships—particularly in competitions with cross-border regulatory sensitivities such as the EuroLeague.