Hull City, one of the teams in the English Championship, signed a sponsorship agreement on July 27, 2024, making the online betting platform Sportsbet.io its ‘Turkish Betting Partner’. As part of this agreement, Sportsbet.io’s logo will be placed on the back of the team’s shorts. This collaboration aims to increase Hull City’s revenues and enhance its global recognition.
Hull City’s Commercial Director, Brett Carroll, stated that they wanted to grow the club’s international profile and that Sportsbet.io is a strong partner in this regard. Meanwhile, Sportsbet.io Director Alexander Haig emphasized that the partnership with Hull City offers a significant opportunity to engage more with football fans in Turkiye and Europe.
However, this agreement sparked controversy, especially concerning Turkiye’s legal regulations. Since the betting sector in Turkiye operates under a state monopoly, Hull City’s partnership with Sportsbet.io, even though the club is governed by UK laws, has become a subject of criticism.
Hull City Announced the Deal with Turkish Flags
Hull City announced the agreement with Sportsbet.io through its official Instagram account. The shared post included images of fans brought to Istanbul by the club, featuring a Bosphorus tour accompanied by Turkish flags. On its official website, visuals of the team’s new season kits were shared, and the details of the sponsorship agreement were conveyed. The club stated that the agreement would create new engagement opportunities for fans.
The club management emphasized that Sportsbet.io is an international brand operating not only in the UK but also in various other countries and that this agreement would greatly benefit the club. However, the word Turkiye was used four times in the announcement, and despite Sportsbet.io being illegal in Turkiye, it was introduced as the Turkish Betting Partner.
The Illegality of Sportsbet.io in Turkiye and the Debates
Sportsbet.io is considered an illegal betting platform in Turkiye. The betting sector in Turkiye is operated under a state monopoly, and all legal betting transactions are conducted solely through the Spor Toto Organization’s Iddaa system. According to the laws of the Republic of Turkiye, it is prohibited for private companies to offer sports betting services or to act as intermediaries, and companies engaging in such activities are subject to legal sanctions.
In this context, Hull City’s sponsorship agreement with Sportsbet.io sparked significant debate, particularly among legal circles and the public in Turkiye. The most notable aspect of the agreement is that the club’s owner, Acun Ilıcalı, is a Turkish businessman. Ilıcalı is widely known in Turkiye as a popular television producer and media mogul with a large fan base. Therefore, a football club owned by a Turkish businessman partnering with a betting company deemed illegal in Turkiye raises serious ethical concerns, even if it does not constitute a legal issue.
A simple BTK (Information and Communication Technologies Authority) domain inquiry reveals that Sportsbet.io is blocked in Turkiye due to illegal operations. It would have been reasonable to expect Hull City executives to conduct similar research.
Sportsbet.io’s Legal Operations Outside Turkiye
Although Sportsbet.io is illegal in Turkiye, it operates legally in many countries. The company holds official licenses in countries such as the United Kingdom and Argentina and has sponsorship agreements with globally recognized football clubs. This is considered part of the company’s strategy to expand in the international market.
In the UK, Sportsbet.io operates as a legal betting company and is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. The company has established a strong presence in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. For example, its partnership with Newcastle United is one of the company’s largest sponsorship deals in the UK. Under this partnership, Sportsbet.io serves as the club’s official betting partner and offers significant opportunities in digital marketing and fan engagement. Newcastle United aims to reach a broader international audience through this sponsorship. Since Sportsbet.io is licensed in the UK, its partnership with Hull City is 100% legal for both the betting company and the football club under UK law.
Furthermore, Sportsbet.io has a strong presence not only in Europe but also in South American football. Its sponsorship agreement with Club Atlético Independiente, one of Argentina’s most established clubs, stands out as a key part of the company’s global expansion strategy. Sportsbet.io is the official jersey sponsor of Independiente, prominently featured on the club’s kits. This deal has not only strengthened the club financially but also aims to increase Sportsbet.io’s recognition in the Latin American market.
The company’s legal operations in different countries support the international legality of its agreement with Hull City. Sponsorship with a company licensed in the UK is entirely legal and legitimate under UK laws. However, this does not eliminate the ethical debates surrounding a partnership between a club owned by a Turkish businessman and a platform considered illegal in Turkiye.
Hull City’s management, on the other hand, views this agreement as part of the club’s global growth strategy. The management asserts that Sportsbet.io is a respected brand internationally and that this partnership strengthens the club’s global profile. Nevertheless, for fans and the public in Turkiye, this collaboration with an illegal betting company continues to raise ethical concerns.
Sportsbet.io’s growing sponsorship activities in various regions, especially in the football world, demonstrate the aggressive and successful implementation of its global brand recognition strategy. However, this expansion remains open to different interpretations within the legal and ethical frameworks of each country.
Hull City’s Previous Deal with Jeton
This is not Hull City’s first controversial sponsorship agreement. In 2022, the club signed a sponsorship deal with Jeton, a digital payment platform. Jeton is known as a platform that operates internationally and provides digital payment solutions, including cryptocurrency. Under the agreement, Jeton became the club’s official e-wallet partner, and its brand appeared at Hull City’s MKM Stadium, on digital platforms, and on the club’s kits.
However, this deal sparked significant controversy, especially in Turkiye. In Turkiye, Jeton is widely known as a payment method used on illegal betting sites. This situation positioned Hull City’s partnership with Jeton as ethically and legally questionable. Agreements with platforms thought to support Turkiye’s illegal betting sector indirectly face criticism not only from a legal perspective but also from a social and moral standpoint.
Following the announcement, backlash grew rapidly. Both fans in Turkiye and some circles within the football world argued that Hull City disregarded ethical values with this agreement and put the club’s reputation at risk by collaborating with a brand open to legal disputes. The criticism intensified further because the club’s owner, Acun Ilıcalı, is Turkish. Since Jeton is considered illegal in Turkiye, such a partnership indirectly supporting this payment method risked harming Ilıcalı’s public image as well.
After increasing public pressure and debates, Hull City decided to terminate the sponsorship agreement with Jeton. The club stated that ending the deal was the right step to protect the brand’s reputation and its relationship with fans. This decision was seen as a critical move to avoid potential legal risks and to correct the negative public perception.
This episode revealed that Hull City tends to collaborate with controversial companies in its sponsorship decisions from time to time. The process with Jeton highlighted the importance of sensitivity in the club’s sponsorship strategies and demonstrated that financial gains must be balanced with legal and ethical values.
Now, Hull City’s Sportsbet.io agreement brings similar debates, echoing the Jeton experience. This sponsorship deal with a platform illegal in Turkiye raises questions about whether the club has learned from past crises. While ethical and legal sensitivities have increased since the Jeton agreement, this new partnership with Sportsbet.io has once again brought Hull City’s sponsorship strategies under scrutiny.
The Sportsbet.io Agreement Should Be Canceled Like the Jeton Deal
Hull City’s sponsorship agreement with Sportsbet.io is seen as a significant collaboration that will financially strengthen the club. However, the fact that this deal was made with a betting company illegal in Turkiye continues to fuel ethical debates.
For a club owned by Acun Ilıcalı, a Turkish businessman, to sign an agreement under the title ‘Turkish Betting Partner’ with a platform considered illegal in Turkiye raises serious legal and ethical questions. Considering Turkiye’s legal framework, this agreement could harm the club’s image and trigger further debates.
On the other hand, Hull City’s decision to terminate the Jeton sponsorship in the past shows that the club is capable of reviewing some of its sponsorship decisions. How the Sportsbet.io deal will play out in the coming period remains to be seen.
For Hull City, working with less controversial sponsors that appeal to broader audiences could be more beneficial in the long term, both financially and ethically.