It’s difficult to discuss quality football without mentioning the Premier League. It’s also difficult to talk about the Premier League without mentioning gambling companies. Event sponsors, jersey designs, match commercials, and other elements are all affected by online casinos and sportsbooks. This isn’t anything new, and these sponsorships have been a controversial talking point for over a decade.
In fact, the UKGC has been adding stricter regulations almost every year, in order to address concerns around excessive gambling. Mandatory deposit limits, bet size caps, and even the speed of casino games were all affected by new changes. As a result, many Brits have turned to sites Australians use when they want to play online pokies fast payout games. These aren’t regulated by the UKGC and don’t have the same limits or restrictions. But let’s focus on that gambling community that actively watches football and unravel why they love digital casinos.
Gambling as a Way to Show Support
Did you know that a few years back, a study called “The 12th Man” was conducted to see how audience or home advantage affects the match outcomes? Now the study also examined different elements like referee bias and effects of ghost matches (without an audience), in order to accurately measure these things. But the important part is that they also asked participants about who they perceive to be the most loyal fan base based on nationality. Lo and behold, 32%, which was an overwhelming majority, stated that Brits are the most passionate people about football.
This isn’t exactly a shocker since many club loyalists are avid supporters of their team through thick and thin, and throughout their entire lives. It should come as no surprise that gambling companies are aware of this and eagerly promote their partnerships with the Premier League teams. It was proven that this has a positive effect on user acquisition and that club supporters are more likely to gamble on sites that are official partners of their favorite team. They don’t see this as just an expanse for their hobby. They view it as an indirect support of their hometown club.
All-in-one Package
Everyone has heard the critique of modern society, how people are constantly on their phones, and that’s true. The device allows us to socialize, play games, see what our friends are up to, read the news, and so many other things. The same principle applies to online casinos, which is why many are active on those sites for hours. They aren’t necessarily just gambling there. Many use the site to view the latest stats, match history, compare odds, and even view the live stream of the match.
There are no exact numbers that tell us how many fans watch the matches via a casino stream. But we already know that 80% of Gen Z-ers, and around 30% of football fans, do watch games on their phones or tablets. This is technically the activity they can do when they are on a casino site or app. The so-called second-screen trend has had a lot to do with this, as one can watch the match on their phone while watching something else on TV. It’s a weird way to consume content, but it has just become a thing, and more and more sports fans are doing this.
Online Gambling Has Become More Common in General
It’s also worth pointing out that all of the ads and widespread accessibility of casinos and sportsbooks have led to the normalization of this hobby. According to the 2025 Gambling Commission report, roughly 38% of UK adults bet online each month, or 17% if you take out lottery players. By comparison, 18% of people gamble in person (excluding the lottery), so land-based gambling is still just ahead.
That said, things are shifting: online gambling has grown from 15% to 17% in two years by 2025. In contrast, in-person betting has dipped slightly from 19% to 18%. Data also shows that online gambling accounts for almost half of the industry’s revenue, while slots and other casino games drive a big chunk of that. To put that into perspective, there were over 60 million online slot sessions in December of 2024 alone.
Catering to Football Fans
Lastly, casino brands truly care about this demographic, even those sites that don’t have an integrated sportsbook. There are slots and mini games that are designed around the concept of football, and fans of this sport play them frequently. Not only that, but some of the VIP perks that big spenders get to unlock include exclusive tickets for matches or even a chance to meet athletes who are on the partner team. For someone as loyal as Brits, this is very appealing, and many don’t mind overspending since they might get a chance to meet their role models.
