Serie A clubs, transfer gurus and esports teams: Pusulabet forging connections through sponsorship
Commanding deep emotional loyalty and captive audiences, sport has long been seen as a fertile ground for sponsors, including betting and gaming brands.
However, it has been a rollercoaster ride over the past two decades.
In Great Britain, the Gambling Act 2005 liberalised gambling advertising, leading to an influx of gambling sponsors across sports. Across the Atlantic, the US Supreme Court’s 2018 sports betting ruling helped pave the way for a wave of sportsbook partnerships with major leagues and teams. But headwinds were not far away.
Italy introduced sweeping restrictions on consumer-facing gambling advertising and promotional marketing in 2018 and 2019, and a voluntary ban on front-of-shirt gambling sponsors kicked off in the English Premier League at the start of the 2026-27 season. In Australia, strict new rules on gambling marketing will be introduced in the new year.
A changing landscape
Meanwhile, another notable trend has changed the landscape. While total global sponsorship spend in sport across all verticals increased by 42% between 2019 and 2024, the overall outlook is more nuanced. According to Two Circles, brands spent 29% of their budget for reaching sports audiences on sponsorship in 2014. Ten years later, that figure had dropped to 19% versus 81% attributed to media spend – with the latter boosted by the unrelenting rise of digital.
“We see sponsorship and digital marketing as complementary rather than competing strategies”
It is against this backdrop that Pusulabet is investing in a broad sports sponsorship portfolio. The online gaming brand has announced a flurry of significant commercial partnerships over recent months, with football and esports being the primary areas of focus. Football transfer guru Fabrizio Romano is one of sport’s most prominent figures on social media these days, and he is just one of a flurry of impressive partnerships the operator has struck.
“Digital marketing is important, but sponsorship offers something different: an emotional connection with fans,” Pusulabet’s head of marketing, Adrien Arden, tells iGamingBusiness.
“For Pusulabet, football and esports partnerships help build long-term brand recognition. We see sponsorship and digital marketing as complementary rather than competing strategies.”
A natural fit
Pusulabet has an agreement with Italian football club Torino FC. Competing in Serie A for a 15th consecutive season, the Turin-based team is an established presence in the country’s top division and has a rich history including seven Serie A titles and five Coppas Italia.
As part of the arrangement, Pusulabet branding appears on virtual advertising boards during coverage of games – in territories where such marketing activities are allowed.
“Football has an enormous following among our audience, making Torino FC a natural fit for our brand,” Arden says. “Becoming one of the club’s regional partners in Europe allows us to strengthen our international presence and create exclusive sports and entertainment content for fans.
“The partnership also offers valuable visibility across European football audiences, with opportunities to reach specific markets through international broadcasts.”
Deep connections
Pusulabet’s commercial ties in football extend far deeper than individual clubs, though.
The operator also has commercial partnerships with former Brazil players Mario Jardel and André Santos.
“Beyond brand association, we aim to create engaging football content built around their experiences and personalities,” Arden explains.
“Fabrizio provides timely news and insights. Transfer news keeps football fans engaged”
Romano – the Italian sports journalist who has amassed a huge audience for his social media transfer updates in recent years – has more than 50 million followers on Instagram and over 100 million across all social platforms.
“Our collaboration with Fabrizio Romano gave Pusulabet players exclusive updates during the transfer window,” Arden says. “While our ambassadors bring personal football experiences and memories, Fabrizio provides timely news and insights. Transfer news keeps football fans engaged and allows us to offer valuable content beyond traditional promotions.”
Crucially, Romano delivers updates via social media in English and Spanish, as well as Italian – and therefore has a truly international audience that stretches across the world.
“Pusulabet is a well-established brand with a loyal audience, and our ambition is to continue growing internationally,” Arden adds.
Esports investments
Pusulabet’s venture into esports sponsorship started in July 2025 with Swedish outfit 9INE. A further agreement with Los Angeles-based NRG was activated this October, meaning the operator is now the global betting partner of two leading Counter-Strike 2 organisations.
Under the sponsorships, which will run until January 2028, the operator has naming rights, with the teams competing as 9INE Pusulabet and NRG Pusulabet, as well as front-of-jersey branding.
“Esports is a growing part of competitive entertainment, and Counter-Strike has a particularly passionate community,” Arden explains. “Our partnerships with 9INE and NRG allow us to explore new content opportunities, strengthen international brand recognition and connect with eligible adult esports audiences.”
“Responsible marketing is an important consideration across all our partnerships”
While professional esports players are typically in their early to mid-20s, it is widely accepted that the audience for competitive gaming skews younger than traditional sports. With that in mind, Pusulabet is conscious that the business has a responsibility to ensure sponsorships – and associated marketing campaigns – target the right fans.
“Responsible marketing is an important consideration across all our partnerships,” Arden says. “We recognise that esports attracts diverse age groups, so advertising activities must take account of audience demographics, age restrictions and applicable local regulations.”
Harnessing digital exposure
Like the Pusulabet-branded social media transfer updates, there is a strong digital element to the esports partnerships. The deals are activated through esports platform FACEIT and Twitch streams, as well as in-game CS2 integrations.
According to Arden, Pusulabet’s different sponsorships give the operator an opportunity to harness digital exposure, rather than simply serving as a traditional logo-branding exercise.
“Our sponsorships are closely connected to our digital strategy, providing content and engagement opportunities across our channels,” he says.
“They support acquisition through brand awareness while helping retention by keeping existing players connected through relevant sports content and experiences.
“Partnerships with Torino FC, esports organisations NRG and 9INE, as well as our collaborations with recognised football personalities such as Mario Jardel, André Santos and Fabrizio Romano, help strengthen our brand awareness.”
Long-term loyalty
The overriding aim is to drive long-term engagement and loyalty, rather than quick wins, Arden adds.
“Sponsorship is about more than immediate conversions,” Arden explains. “We evaluate its value through indicators such as brand visibility, audience reach, content engagement and brand awareness. Digital analytics also help us understand how these partnerships contribute to our wider marketing performance.”
In an industry that often focuses on short-term acquisition costs rather than lifetime value, building a sustainable business is the primary goal. To this end, Arden believes that Pusulabet has established solid foundations through its sponsorship strategy.
“Over the next 12 months, we’ll focus on existing partnerships, developing exclusive gaming content and exploring new market opportunities,” Arden concludes.
“We’ll continue focusing on football, esports and ambassador partnerships while investing in digital content and exclusive gaming experiences. Our priority is to build meaningful partnerships, strengthen brand recognition and explore sustainable growth opportunities in new markets.”